


Rejection's Rift

by KeJae



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27296665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeJae/pseuds/KeJae
Summary: Despite all that he had, Peter still sought his birth family seeking connections and answers. Having learned of his adoption through Operation Caffrey, Neal sought what he never had, parents that loved him, siblings, a place to belong. Peter's initial rejection nearly ruins it for them both.
Comments: 92
Kudos: 67





	1. History

*******

It had been a horrible day. Neal had endured so much in his life, but nothing as bad as this.

Stretched out on his bed, he laced his fingers above his head and stared at the ceiling while his life replayed through his mind, the path that had led him here.

*******

A long time ago in a city halfway across the country, his aunt Ellen had taken him aside and surprised him by saying she wanted to tell him a story, and she had, she told him their story.

Before that night he'd thought his father was shot down in action and had died some hero's death. As a result, he loved those movies and comics where the hero saved the world and it didn't matter if the hero was a cop, spy, or vigilante, they gave insight into how his father might have lived and died. But it had all been a lie.

Learning the truth had been painful, but he trusted Ellen, so he's listened to what she had to say. Going through the series of events, she'd retold the details of his father's confession and the results of her own investigation.

In short, his father had attempted to skim off the top at a bust and had been caught by a superior who coerced him into working for the local mob. The crimes and complications grew until the day he murdered that superior and Ellen had caught him standing over the man with a smoking gun. His confession had taken down a huge portion of the local mob, but he'd also told her about the corruption in their precinct which her own investigation confirmed. Ultimately, this meant the end for all of them as his father went into States Evidence and she landed in the Witness Protection Program with him and his mother.

He hadn't remembered that early transition when they were moved through temporary locations to ensure their trail was clean before ultimately settling in St Louis. There little Neal Bennett had become Daniel Brooks. He'd quickly become Danny as he was too cute and sweet for the more formal version of his name.

However, he did remember the years that followed where his mother had regressed more and more into herself as the depression became more overwhelming. Slowly, the stories of him having his father's blue eyes and other details to appease a little boy's curiosity had waned to the simple answer that she had already told him and a refusal to repeat. As a result, he was forced to grow up too soon and slowly had to learn to be more independent whether he learned things the hard way or simplified tasks with shortcuts until he was the one handling the general tasks around the house ensuring everything was managed.

After learning the truth, he'd been torn as he returned home. His flight instinct had pushed him to run, to get away from this chaotic past and become someone new. But, he had an ingrained responsible streak, and with the end of his senior year so close, he knew it was best to remain until he'd finished his classes. That gave him a deadline, a time to decide what to do with his future with a promise of looming freedom. Then, even if he didn't become a cop, he could move on to become someone else at college. With his future stretching out before him, he had to make a decision of some sort. This was one of those pivotal points that would change everything so he had to be careful.

Still warring the urge to run when he reached his room, he was debating on how to handle the anxious energy when a soft sound of the creak by his door alerted him that he wasn't alone before her voice carried through his room.

"You're adopted."

Turning, he'd seen the outline of his mother in the shadows of the hallway. Her hair was a mass of curls that hung about her face further masking her away from his sight so he couldn't read anything beyond the dull sound of her voice.

"What?" He'd asked. She was actively talking to him, something she hadn't done in a long time.

"I said you are adopted. Your father and I, we couldn't have children so we adopted you in Washington. Considering Ellen was going to tell you what happened when you were three, I thought you should know what happened to bring you to us. James, he isn't your father, and I'm not biologically your mother. As you make your decisions going forward, you need to do what's best for you. Your biological parents sealed your file so you can become whoever you want to be, you are your own man." Her voice was raised sufficiently to carry through the room, but she didn't seem to gather up enough gumption for much more.

"My file was sealed? Does that mean I can't find who my parents are?" Did they not want him?

"They sealed your file so we never knew anything about them." She had confirmed before retreating back down the hall to her room.

Knowing he wasn't the son of a murderer was freeing, but it also cut his anchor and left him adrift in the world without any anchor or direction. He was weightless, nothing, no one.

Using his time until graduation to choose his next step, he decided to leave Wit-Sec and go to college for accounting with a minor in computer engineering. He would become someone else, someone undefined by his past preconceptions based on lies. His next marker was to spend four years finding out who he was before he'd have to make his next big decision.

Saying goodbye to his adoptive mother wasn't difficult, but parting with Ellen was painful. She'd been the one to teach him so many things over the years, they were close, and this was going to be their last meeting.

*******

Fingering the new identity in his pocket, Bryce Larkin took his first steps onto the Stanford Campus in California. All he knew was that he was a track star, a good student, and a total nerd. These were foundations of things he'd liked as a child so the Marshalls had built them into his new identity. The rest was up to him and who he wanted to be.

Being generally friendly, he was easily able to make new acquaintances and was soon building a social network of contacts, but it wasn't until he'd met a tall curly-haired kid doing his homework on a bench that he'd made a friend. Chuck was the first best friend he'd ever had.

Soon, everyone knew that Bryce hung out with Chuck as his friend and roommate. Some of the ladies tried to get to him through his friend while others looked at him sideways wondering why Bryce enjoyed this awkward geek. Chuck took it in stride. He'd point the girls on to Bryce, but he'd always warn him if there was something he didn't like about them. Bryce always listened, even if he didn't let Chuck see just how much he trusted and respected his opinion. The others, well, if they couldn't like Chuck how were they supposed to tolerate Bryce for anything more than his looks?

During his junior year, Bryce was called into Professor Fleming's office for a meeting and at first, he actually believed the pretext, but then he started talking about options for his future and his good qualities, things that made him a good student and athlete that would also make him a good spy. A confidentiality agreement followed by a contract and he was on track for recruitment.

That summer he went through the training process and spent three months going through one class after another. Only one teacher stuck out in his mind though. Langley had an older agent named Roan Montgomery who taught Infiltration and Inducement of Enemy Personnel, or the seduction class. Sitting through his lessons meant watching an aging man charm and schmooze the pretty trainees and flunking the partner of anyone who had been teamed up with someone he wanted to spend more time with. Fortunately, Bryce was partnered with a young lady who was cute, but she wasn't so pretty as to get them held back. Still, he'd learned how to improve and refine the skills he'd learned a long time ago. The class came naturally to him so he'd aced the lessons, but it was odd how Roan had occasionally looked at him with a distant expression. Maybe he reminded the man of someone?

His senior year brought more challenges and change. Not only did he particularly have to evade and dodge Chuck's honest curiosity with their lives so intertwined, but he also had to squeeze in additional training and small missions without attracting attention.

Intercepting Chuck's mail and impersonating him, it had been a surprise to learn that Chuck was being force drafted to a project like Omaha. He could understand the government wanting someone of his intelligence, but they were poor judges of character to put such a soft-hearted person in such a violent project. Fortunately, it had been easy to convince Fleming of this and gain his aid in planting the false evidence to get his only friend expelled.

Then with nothing but the remaining weeks until graduation tying him to the campus, it was easy for Bryce to bury himself in training and classes. If he wasn't running for track or due to something government-related, he was studying or in class.

A few weeks later he was working on his computer in the dorm to study. The space was empty and quiet without Chuck so he had no distraction. Suddenly, his computer went dark and nothing but a white line blinked in the corner indicating the cursor. Going through commands and checks to figure out what happened, nothing got a reaction until a message typed onto his screen.

It was a date, time, and location, a meeting. He was curious and cautious. The message didn't come through official channels so it wasn't a mission, Chuck wasn't around to mess with him and was likely back to living with his sister, so who could this be? Did someone want to avenge Chuck on him? What he did to Chuck had cast a suspicious shadow over his character so maybe someone had a bone to pick with him over it? Unable to determine anything from the details he'd been given, he decided to check it out and see what he found. It wasn't like anyone other than the government would lament anything happening to Bryce Larkin, and even they didn't have enough invested to care for long.

When the date came, he lurked across the street observing the place without approaching. As the time drew nearer, he noticed someone else keeping to the shadows and watching the appointed location for the meet. Circling around to the likely escape point, he came up behind a small figure wearing a long coat and a hat angled to hide his face.

"Are you here to see me?" He'd calmly spoken from behind them.

Startled, the man had twitched but showed no other reaction. "Are you Bryce Larkin?"

"You know I am, otherwise you wouldn't have contacted me. Who are you?" He knew this person would have looked him up so the question was a test.

"Stephen Bartowski. You got my son expelled for cheating, something we both know he didn't do, but I also know what you protected him from." The man turned and angled his hat up so that Bryce could see familiar brown eyes set into a different, older, face.

Standing straighter, he was no longer worried about an enemy or retribution; this was something he couldn't possibly have foreseen. "You have my curiosity and attention."

Leading him to a nearby safe house, Orion had introduced him to a whole new level of government work. He was just a rookie still wearing training wheels, but that night he secretly dove to the innermost depths of spying on the spies.

Graduating, those few remotely interested in his future were given the story about accounting in Washington while he himself disappeared into full-time work for the CIA as an agent and intelligence officer running missions all over the world.

It wasn't long before his bosses were approached about a taskforce opportunity and they asked for Bryce to play Neal Caffrey, an alternate version of himself. There was a little work to hammer out the agreement before he was set loose as a young con artist and criminal coming up in New York City.

Balancing the juggling act, he spent several years working in multiple operations. Bryce completed missions all over the world climbing the ranks until he caught the attention of Director Graham himself, his work as Neal caught the attention of the FBI garnering his own personal agent dogging him around the world, and Orion had him secretly investigating Fulcrum. Nothing crossed over until Fulcrum began to target him in return, but that was easily passed off as their attempt at recruitment. His acrobatic abilities were put to the ultimate test as Neal was placed in prison and Bryce was sent undercover to infiltrate Fulcrum acting as a traitor.

Everything nearly came tumbling down when he was killed for the first time, but as he lay there in that parking lot, he could only think that his childhood stories were true of him, he'd been shot down as the secret hero. Being revived by the enemy meant the act resumed so he continued until Chuck came back into his life with the accidental rescue.

Although he didn't want to hurt his friend anymore, he couldn't think of a better way to accomplish his mission and the stakes were bigger than either of them. Risking estranging his former friend further, Bryce used him to escape and then bounced through messing with his life once in a while until his last mission got him killed again. This time things were damaged beyond repair.

The Ring had gone through every file for Bryce Larkin connected to the CIA and spread his information throughout their organization with leaks into the general black market effectively ruining him from being a problem should he somehow survive death again.

With nothing left for him in his field, General Beckman put him on permanent loan to Operation Confidence where he resumed his role as Neal Caffrey.

A breakup and a breakout caused him to become a Confidential Informant to the FBI under the direct responsibility of his personal agent, Peter Burke. His job was to aid the FBI in whatever case crossed their desks while secretly looking for the corruption responsible for placing his family in Witness Protection and should he find any other corruption while he was at it, then all the better.

*******

Rolling over to stare out of the window, Neal wished he hadn't taken that step to find an anchor.

In searching for enemies to protect his adopted family, he remembered a suppressed curiosity. Who was his family, who was he?

It hadn't taken much research to find that the adoption agency his parents had gotten him from had a branch in New York City, and a call put his name into a database to see if anyone was searching for him. By the time he'd completed the process, they had his DNA, original adoption history, and current contact records.

When they had found a match, it was more painful than he'd expected to be utterly rejected by his brother.


	2. Mistake

*******

It took a week to lead up to the event, but only a day to change everything.

*******

On Monday, Peter finished up the meeting and returned to his office. Settling in, he checked his phone to find a missed call so he opened his voicemail and listened to the message.

Leaning back in his chair, Peter had no idea what they might have found. The adoption agency had run a test of his DNA against other records in their database, as they regularly did to see if anyone matched, and with notable results this time. They wanted to make an appointment to discuss something discovered in relation to him.

Since he wasn't going to learn anything by speculating, he made the call and set an appointment for Saturday to work around his schedule and their openings. Then he had nothing to do but wait.

*******

Sitting in the van on Tuesday, Peter couldn't settle down and found himself uncharacteristically jittery. He watched the monitor and listened to the headset, but he kept losing his focus so he tried to find a way of managing the extra energy.

Having Neal fetch him a book of crossword puzzles on his coffee run, Peter started working through the book trying to settle his mind with the challenge of finding the word and channeling his energy into the pen rather than mindless fidgeting.

"Is something bothering you?" Neal asked as he watched the monitor from his seat. He'd picked up a sketchbook and pencils when he'd gotten Peter's puzzles so he was also trying to manage something of his own.

"No, nothing is bothering me," Peter answered honestly. He wasn't bothered by the appointment, but he was curious about what it would entail which could change his personal life completely. "You? I'm not the only one using a distraction to keep my focus."

Smirking, Neal didn't seem surprised that he'd been caught. "No, I'm not bothered either."

"Uh-huh, so what has you trying to keep your mind off of it?" Peter poked. Neal's concerns were his concerns as they often entailed something criminal.

"It's nothing criminal, how about you?" Neal deflected by giving a slight answer and bouncing the question back.

"Mine's personal so you've got to give me more before I'll share." Peter attempted to bribe him by arousing his curiosity.

"So is mine so it's not easy to open up." Neal gave another hint while explaining why he wasn't forthcoming with alleged tales of past activities or regaling him with plans June had asked him to participate in. This was something different.

"I have an appointment on Saturday, my family, it could change everything." Peter found himself fidgeting more as he realized that maybe he was bothered, not in fear over the appointment, but the results it might bring up. What if he wasn't alone as someone else was looking? How would it feel to face a biological relation for the first time?

"Me too," Neal turned towards him with a curious expression. "That's strange though, that we'd both have appointments on the same day that could change our personal lives."

Cocking his head, Peter was more focused on Neal as the radio became background noise he only partially listened to. Nothing was happening, but he had a little attention spared towards it just in case. "It is strange." He got a little suspicious. Was Neal fishing for information from him while leading him to his own conclusions?

"Hey," Neal frowned. "Not everything is a con for your information. Yes, I'm curious about what your situation is and it would be a distraction from my own, but that doesn't mean I'm not telling the truth."

Relaxing a little, Peter tried to appease his consultant so they could progress the conversation. "Maybe not everything is a con, but you've pulled a lot of them over the years so I know you aren't above them. It wouldn't be the first time you tried to get me to talk about myself without sharing anything in return."

"Yeah, well, I ultimately have to share with someone. Their office is outside of my radius so I can't just up and go by myself." Neal huffed in annoyance. He clearly didn't want to share, but he had to if he wanted to go through with whatever his appointment was about.

"You're using my situation as an opening?" Peter realized that Neal was curious, but did have an additional motivation for asking. By finding out what Peter had going, he was hoping to integrate his situation into the conversation for an easier transition.

Shrugging, Neal turned his focus onto the monitor as an excuse to avoid looking at him.

Sighing, Peter knew he was going to have to approach this more carefully. As much as he didn't want to talk, he knew it was even harder for Neal to be forced.

"When is your appointment?" He'd start with a smaller and more basic detail hoping to get an answer.

"Saturday," Neal named the hour just after his.

If he took Neal to his appointment, it would mean taking Neal along on his own. That felt like an invasion of privacy and he wasn't sure how he'd feel after learning whatever was to be shared, and he certainly didn't want to share that with Neal while he waited for his consultant to go through his appointment. "Have you checked with Jones or Diana? That's right after mine so I don't think it would work." He tried to get out of it.

"Jones has family in town this weekend and Diana is working. Forget it; I can reschedule it with the agency." Neal waived the conversation off and tried to redirect their focus back to the case.

Knowing the conversation might not be finished, Peter hoped it was. He didn't want to talk about his mysterious past and he didn't want to take Neal along to what could be an emotional meeting. His blank history had always been a sore spot so he only let in those he had too and no one else.

*******

Wednesday didn't get any better. Peter was back in the van with Neal so they'd spent the time sketching and puzzling while trying to avoid the conversation that hung on the air in between them.

*******

Obviously, Thursday was downright challenging as they were once again detailed van duty.

"This is ridiculous," Peter huffed as he put the pen into the puzzle book and sat back. "Did you get your appointment rescheduled?"

Twitching, Neal hadn't expected the sudden burst of action and noise. "No, they don't have any other openings in the near future so I figure I'll try to see if anyone else is available. Being in the van though, I haven't crossed paths with most of the team to find out."

"What agency is your appointment at? Clearly, it's not the FBI and I doubt you have reason to visit any other Federal Office so that narrows it down some." Peter tried to open the conversation by showing he remembered Neal's vague description.

"What would a criminal have to do with any of those, huh? As I said, it's not criminal." Neal frowned at him.

"But you never said anything about it beyond 'agency' and those are the first things that come to mind with you. Having chased you, I'm more familiar with your criminal career than anything else so you've got to give me something if you want me to know where you need to be." Peter pointed out the obvious surprised that Neal hadn't thought of it that way.

Sighing, Neal put his drawing materials away and resigned to telling him. "I was eighteen when I learned that everything I knew about myself was a lie and it destroyed my whole foundation."

Leaning forwards, Peter was curious to hear this, he didn't know anything about Neal pre-eighteen.

"I'm adopted, and my records were sealed so I don't know anything about who I really am. The agency has something and they want a meeting." Neal held his hands with one fist into the other and his voice was flat to hide the emotions.

"Really? What agency is processing your records?" Peter's curiosity was fully aroused now. Neal was possibly in the same situation that he was.

Naming it, Neal turned towards him with questioning eyes.

"Me too, only my parents were open about me being adopted as far back as I can remember. My appointment is the one right before yours for the same reason." Peter admitted the barest minimum.

Opening his eyes wider, Neal seemed to be taking that in. "Your files were sealed?"

Wondering why Neal felt the need to know that, Peter answered the affirmative. "What?"

His face falling into a question, Neal didn't answer at first. "I've always wondered why my parents didn't want anything to do with me, but if your parents wouldn't want to be connected to someone like you, then it isn't just me."

Snorting, Peter didn't follow. "I don't think it had anything to do with us personally, we were too young to know who we'd become."

"Maybe," Neal was noncommittal on that one.

"I guess it would work since we're going to the same place." Peter no longer had an excuse to avoid having Neal along for his following appointment. At least the kid would understand what he was going through to a point.

Looking up, Neal seemed to be in another world, "I guess."

*******

They were able to support each other on Friday.

Relegated to van duty yet again, they had the boring task of listening to their suspect go about his daily routines without mentioning anything related to the crime they were investigating him for. Either he was really good or they had something wrong, but with no other lead, they remained focused on him.

"What is your biggest fear about tomorrow?" Neal asked as he nervously sketched random things that he could see through the monitor to force his mind to focus on the details.

Using word association, Peter kept his ears generally tuned to the conversations to see if he could pick up on anything that would hint to why they weren't getting anything. "I think the idea of being confronted with a biological connection. What would that be like?"

Snorting, Neal didn't have an answer. "I don't think you have anything to worry about though, I mean, you've gone through the general process that everyone expects. A loving family that took care of you growing up, an education, sports background, an honorable job, and a beautiful wife with a dog waiting for you at home. You aren't missing anything except a biological history. Who wouldn't be glad to find themselves connected to you?"

"Ha, you make it sound like I have a charmed life. There is nothing to say they have a definite family connection and even if they did, no one can please everyone." Peter knew people didn't always like FBI agents, some people didn't understand a passion for sports or puzzles, and even if they had something in common with him, it didn't mean he would connect with them. He'd heard stories of people who didn't get along with biological family even when they grew up amongst them.

"No, you can't please everyone, but we both know you would be yourself with anyone who turned out to be family and they wouldn't have a legitimate complaint. Who cares if you played baseball instead of football, your family would still be able to talk sports with you so I don't see you having a problem unless there was something wrong with them." Neal defended him with a staunch opinion.

"What about you, what has you the most nervous?" Peter turned the conversation onto his consultant.

"The same, I've never met any biological family." Neal wouldn't answer anything more on the subject so Peter didn't push as he could understand how uncomfortable the topic was.

Offering to take Neal to his place for dinner, Peter wasn't surprised when Neal accepted the offer of distraction.

*******

The big day was a depressing kind of day for both of them.

Saturday morning they had gotten ready for the appointments by joking about what might be found in their results. Maybe they came from huge families and their parents couldn't afford them or perhaps they were illegitimate and their parents couldn't afford them for a different reason, and anything that randomly crossed their minds even if it was some ridiculous movie plot they'd heard about.

Driving through the morning traffic, Peter bantered with Neal as the conversation digressed to differences about them in appearance and interests. "At least they aren't likely to tell us we're related," Peter had joked making a light reference to the remote possibilities that they had anything in common.

Neal played along pointing out their differences in general as well, but he'd fallen silent with a hum of agreement to Peter's comment.

Peter didn't think twice about it as they arrived at the agency and found a place to park before walking to the office. Checking in and taking their seats, they then sat and waited until it was Peter's turn to go in for his appointment.

Glancing at the clock periodically, Peter noticed that his scheduled meeting was going to be late as they were running through his time and drawing nearer to when Neal was supposed to be going in.

Finally, Peter was asked to come back for his appointment but as it was time for Neal's he knew the situation wasn't going to plan. Nodding for Neal to follow him, he made the excuse that it would save him having to be updated later for his files if they just got it over with for both of them.

"Are you sure?" Neal had questioned.

"It'll be fine," Peter had assured. As he'd said, they weren't going to be related or anything, so they might as well find out what was to be said together, and then they could each get on with their days instead of sitting around the office for who knows how much longer.

"If you're sure," Neal had hesitated to comply before following along as directed.

Introducing themselves as they took their seats, Peter explained why he was bringing his consultant in with him. "This is technically his appointment so it seemed easier to just combine our meetings rather than continue to complicate the day."

Questioning the approach, the man had indicated that it might be better to at least let them open the files in private. He could work with them to merge some of their appointments, but he felt it would be best to retain some separation.

Generally understanding why it would be a policy, Peter was still unsure what the problem was. "Is it bad news?"

"No, but most find this surprising and prefer to have a bit of time alone to come to terms with it." The man had explained that it was more a general desire of their clients, but it was ultimately his choice so he couldn't separate them if they were alright with opening their results together. Complying with their decision, the man passed them each a file of papers and let them open them on their own time.

Peter ignored Neal as he was focused on his records. This contained answers he'd been looking for most of his life. Picking it up, he started poking through the documents and skimming the general information until he got to the end page with the ultimate results. He had a brother, and this man was no other than the Neal Caffrey sitting next to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sort of saw a smiling expression on Neal's face like he was amused about a joke.

Zoning out and rereading the information, Peter couldn't get past the thought that it couldn't be. Neal and he weren't brothers, they were nothing alike. They looked totally different and their interests didn't intersect at all, except where Neal committed crimes and he solved them. That's how it had always been; they were the cop and the con, not brothers. Was there a mistake? "Are you sure?" He found himself asking out loud.

"We can run the test again with direct DNA samples to be certain. It just requires a hair with follicle from each of you." The man had stated.

From his seat, Neal easily pulled a hair from his head and checked to make sure he'd accomplished the requested collection of data before laying it in a tissue in his file for safekeeping and identification.

Following suit, Peter did the same as it wouldn't hurt to be certain and Neal seemed determined for a double check as well.

Although Neal lingered behind for a moment after they'd finished discussing details, Peter excused himself and began walking back out into the hallways. Pausing in the privacy of the space, he took a moment to try and regain some focus for the drive home. He'd be dropping Neal off at Junes and then he needed to see his wife. Possibly being related to Neal wasn't something he had expected and he didn't know how to handle it.

When Neal caught up to him, he led the way walking back to the car and they left as originally planned, but the drive was the quietest Peter had ever experience with Neal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, following, choosing to favorite, and commenting/reviewing :D


	3. Regret

*******

At first, Neal had been so happy to see that Peter was his brother. Sure, the agent had made a few comments, but he had done that back in the early days of them working together too. It seemed to be his way of dealing with things so he figured he might grumble a little or make some teasing comments, but instead, he had denied the possibility and had instigated the test being redone to confirm or deny their connection.

It would figure. Neal was a criminal here, who would want him for a brother?

Not willing to dwell on the pain that had caused, Neal moved on to planning his reaction. The facility was mailing their results so if he kept his eye out for it he might be able to intercept Peter's copy and swap it out with a negative result. Since the only reason the test was being redone was Peter's doubt, he figured it was likely a legitimate result that would be duplicated so he wanted to be prepared. There was no way he wanted Peter to be forced to contend with him as a brother.

Going to work, he made copies of the documents based on the pictures he'd taken with a device hidden on his jacket. Then he went about making minor changes and altered the end result so that it depicted an easily accounted for error that would explain away the mistake that had occurred the first time.

With his work done, he smuggled the envelope into his desk and prepared to make the switch when the opportunity arose.

*******

Talking the situation through with his wife and parents over the following days, Peter slowly came to terms with the likelihood that Neal was his younger brother.

Sure, Neal was a criminal and a con artist so he couldn't be trusted, and they had nothing in common as far as appearance or interests went, but they were both smart and Neal had a heart. He wasn't violent and he tried to prevent others from being hurt in a lasting way even as he enjoyed the thrill of the challenge and the addiction of the adrenaline rush. When it came down to it, Neal's entire foundation being destroyed when he was eighteen probably did some damaged to his moral compass but it didn't hurt his brain or his heart.

Peter was lucky to have someone who could keep up with him, someone who sharpened him like iron on iron, someone who could tolerate his annoying habits, and someone who wasn't afraid to stand up to him when he was wrong. Neal was different than him. However, with the exception of his criminal ways, that wasn't a bad thing.

By the time he was expecting the results to come in, Peter actually kind of hoped that Neal would turn out to be his brother. It would add complications to his life, but Neal would provide a connection that he'd never had before.

*******

The day he saw the envelope, it was easy to accidentally bump the deliverer spilling some coffee and causing some mail to fall. A quick swap and the deed was done. If it all went to plan, Peter would be relieved and he would never know what the real results entailed. There was the risk that the archeologist would dig into why the data had been misread, but that was why he made the mistake something even he could explain away, something that was noted in the addition he had decided to tag on as a precaution just in case.

*******

When he saw the envelope on his desk after a day full of meetings, Peter couldn't resist opening it. He was excited and nervous, he had a brother!

Or not, reading through the papers a second time and the description indicating how the mistake had been made, he felt his heart sink. Neal wasn't his brother after all.

Sitting the documents down, he stared absentmindedly out at the empty office below. They didn't have anything to hold them around so the entire team had gone home on time for a change. It was just a meeting running over and the initial decision to get a few things done towards his workload that had caused Peter to still be around, otherwise, he'd be at home with his wife. As it was, he was glad for the privacy for his initial disappointment.

For the first time in his life he'd had the taste of family, but it slipped through his fingers like smoke he'd tried to grasp for so long only to miss when he had his chance. Sighing, he was sad to think it might be the closest he ever came to finding family, biological family, without having his own which was a whole other situation that didn't seem to be happening either.

Running his hands over his face, he hesitated before picking up the phone and dialing the agency. Asking for the man who processed his records, Peter asked him why the test had different results the second time.

There was the sound of some paper ruffling as he pulled his copies of the data out of his records. "The results aren't different. You and Neal Caffrey are brothers."

Ending the conversation, Peter was confused. If the original documents showed them as brothers, then he was looking at forged records?

Growing angry with Neal, he packed up his desk for the night and moved down to his brother's. It didn't take him long going through the drawers before he found the unopened files that had been mailed to him and Neal. Opening his copy, Peter read through the confirmation that they were indeed brothers.

Why had Neal forged this? Adding them both to his briefcase, he headed to June's where he intended to get answers.

By the time he reached June's, he was furious with the kid and he'd pulled the records so that he carried Neal's forgery and Neal's copy up to the loft. He wasn't risking his own copy.

Slapping them down on the table, Peter wasn't surprised to see Neal's startled glance towards him and then the envelopes. He knew he'd been caught.

Looking at the man, Peter was glad Neal wasn't wearing one of the suits, he was dressed more casually which meant he didn't have that armor to hide behind. "Care to explain why I have two different results with only one matching the original data from the agency?"

Peter hadn't expected Neal's reaction when he next looked up at him. His brow was furrowed and a storm brewed in his eyes. "How dare you! When you read the results, you said we weren't brothers, we were nothing alike. That I was the con and you were the cop so there must have been some kind of mistake. It isn't the first time you've insinuated that I am a criminal or that it's all I ever was or will be in your eyes, so I'm not surprised that you asked for the test to be redone suspecting an error."

"So, you went and stole my mail before forging it? That's a series of criminal activities," Peter started into the justice speeches he had come up with on the drive over only to be overridden.

Raising his voice, Neal spoke over him while his hands were fisted by his side. "I gave you what you wanted! You didn't have to know anything; you could have gone on with your happy life with a family who loves you and a wife who adores you. There would have been no criminal shadowing your perfect life outside of the office." Then he waved his hands through the air in dramatic effect before he started to pace in his anger. "But no, the great Peter Burke can't let sleeping dogs lie and you just had to go and research in order to find the truth! Couldn't you leave off the archeologist just this once? For once, couldn't you have let me be in obscurity? Wasn't your absolute rejection enough?" Trying to rein his emotions in, he turned more serious while his pacing continued. "Now we have to deal with this. I know you don't want me for a brother, you made that perfectly clear, so I doubt you'll want to advertise to the greater FBI, but there is also the official ramifications of an agent handling his younger brother. The superiors will probably either worry that it's a liability or they'll be gung ho thinking it gives you leverage to control me which will be good for my rehabilitation which would mean you're stuck with me." Throwing out his hands again, Neal was frustrated. "Seriously, this messes up everything! We were something of friends before, but now I guess we're just a con and a cop again." Snorting, he stopped pacing and turned on Peter. "Congratulations, you put us both in a trap neither of us wants. I'm taking a walk; feel free to let yourself out."

Peter had tried to speak up some through the rant, but he hadn't been able to counter Neal's accusations in his surprise as he hadn't expected such an attack from the usually calm and collected con man. He'd never seen Neal so upset before so he wasn't sure how to approach this man. Then he lost his opportunity as the door shut with a slammed bang behind the kid.

Wincing, Peter stood fingering the envelopes for a few moments as he tried to catch up to what had just been said. Then he pulled out a chair and sat down to run his fingers through his hair while he reflected on what Neal had accused him of before he had stormed out of the room.

First, he'd only thought those things, hadn't he? Going through their conversations of the week, he realized that he'd been making little comments of distinction ever since they'd both known about their adoption history and coming meetings. He'd joked about Neal having appointments at other agencies because he only knew about his criminal history and nothing about his personal life beyond a few acquaintances, then he'd remarked that it wasn't like they were going to be related. Now that he was thinking about it, Neal had gotten defensive at the insinuation towards his criminal career while he had also fallen silent after the comment that they couldn't be brothers. What if Neal had been smiling at the agency because he was glad that they were brothers? That meant that his eagerness to provide his DNA wasn't out of lack of conviction in their connection, but rather pain at his rejection. Neal had probably wanted to do anything to get out of there, to try and forget that it had ever happened.

Picking up his phone, Peter tried calling the agency again and was surprised to find that the man was still in his office. Asking some questions, it didn't take him long to discover that he'd been talking out loud when he thought about his doubts about their connection. He'd not been loud, but in an office with two other silent people, there was nothing to prevent them from hearing his mutters clearly. Ashamed, he asked about how Neal had handled the situation. Being his handler and older brother while being the reason for his brother's pain, it would make it easier to approach him if he knew how much damage he'd done.

"I've never seen a situation play out so badly in my career. He looked happy when he reached the results and learned that you were brothers, but when he glanced over and saw your downcast expression, his had fallen quickly. When you started making comments, his face changed to neutral to hide his emotions. As a result, it didn't surprise me when Caffrey asked for his records to be removed from all databases. He never wants to experience being put in that chair again." The man had been frank and open with his description of what had transpired. Although he knew they were having problems, there was no sense hiding the pain of one to spare the other.

Apologizing for his behavior, Peter asked for his information to remain in the database so that there was an access point for discovery on the off chance it should be needed. Neal wasn't looking anymore, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be someone else someday.

With the guilt fully resting on his shoulders, Peter finished his call and went back to running his hands along his face. Neal had been dressed casually like he'd just come from the gym so Peter knew he could walk or run to work through his frustrations, but it was the chance that he'd run that worried him.

Pulling out his phone, he linked up the app for the tracker and sat watching the little dot for a while as he thought.

Neal was moving rather quickly along the edge of his radius weaving along just inside of his limit. He seemed restrained like he'd be over that line and far away if he could be, but something was holding him back.

*******

Continuing to walk, it was good exercise and it helped burn through the initial hurt and anger Neal was feeling. The emotions wouldn't go away, but maybe he could get them under control.

Much like it had been after his conversation with Ellen, Neal wanted to run so badly, to leave this mess behind and become someone new. However, this time he didn't have an escape to look forward to. He wasn't in Witness Protection and his assignment was long term. There was no change in sight so he was trapped in a two-mile radius under the watchful eyes of his brother, a man who didn't want him.

Weaving along the streets, Neal couldn't walk the exact edge of his radius as it cut through buildings and other obstacles but he knew his limits so he remained as close to the edge as possible, particularly in a direction that would take him away from Peter. Avoiding his brother was made easier by the tracker he'd placed in the agent's phone. He always knew where Peter was almost as surely as Peter knew his location at all times.

Using the time while Peter stubbornly remained at his loft to come up with a game plan, Neal tried to figure out how to handle the situation. The best option he could come up with was what Peter was asking for. They would be the cop and the con. No more friendly conversations, no hanging out outside of the office, no effort to try and lighten the atmosphere with coffee or jokes, none of the extra stuff that made this assignment bearable. Instead, Neal would do his job, be serious, and go home. It wasn't like he couldn't do that, he'd done it all of the years he'd been Bryce Larkin, but it had been different in the CIA where you went on missions and didn't spend every day in an office with the same people. Sighing, he knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he could come up with a few means to handle the situation. He was a good spy after all.

*******

As the shadows drew out, Peter remembered the pieces he hadn't paid attention to before, and slowly he'd compiled the picture of exactly how he'd broken the relationship with his brother before it had even gotten started. The echoes of Neal's voice as he quoted his words back at him replayed in his own voice as if he was experiencing a horrible movie unable to stop himself as he saw the images of Neal's expressions as he hurt him time and again. Folding his arms on the table and leaning forwards into them, he found himself crying. In only a few moments, he had reacted without thinking and it had been the biggest mistake of his personal life. Worse, he didn't know if he would be able to fix it.

After a while, he had slowed down to sniffling and wiped his eyes. Checking his phone again, he realized that Neal was still walking the perimeter and hadn't calmed down.

Pacing around the loft, Peter tried to come up with something, anything to say to fix this, but he couldn't come up with the right words. Then another round of monitoring the tracking data showed Neal starting to occasionally weave towards the loft, but then he'd veer away. Almost like he knew Peter was still there and was avoiding him.

Sighing, Peter decided to head home so that Neal could return to his. If he was going to avoid him then there was only so much he could do without pushing him further away. He would need to fix this, but it wasn't going to be a quick process. This was going to take time, effort, and careful consideration to rectify.

Heading out, Peter passed June in the hallway on his way towards the stairs. Unable to look her in the eyes, he gave her notice of the general situation. "Neal's extremely upset. It's entirely my fault, but I don't think he's going to forgive me anytime soon, if ever. Please keep an eye on him; he's probably going to need it." He'd need someone to make sure he was alright and he certainly wasn't going to allow Peter to be that person for a while.

Although she had been frosty with him, to begin with, June seemed to appreciate his honesty in taking the blame and consideration in wanting Neal taken care of. "He's kept to himself for the last week and isn't even conversing with Mozzie like he normally does. I'll make sure he's alright, but you need to fix this."

"I know, but it isn't going to be easy." Peter left to head home and consult his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, commenting, following, and choosing to favorite my stories and me :D


	4. Avoidance

*******

Neal had been right. This needed to be handled officially as it was a part of their civilian files so Peter made sure to get a meeting with Hughes the next day.

After ensuring that the office was blocked from observation by the team below, Peter pulled up a chair and took a seat.

"This is serious?" Hughes commented as he frowned at Peter's actions. It wasn't typical for Peter to be so secretive without it being a clearance sensitive case.

"Yes, very. However, it's also personal between Neal and me." Sighing, he tried to prepare himself for going through this again. He'd already talked about it with Elizabeth and they were working to come up with plans on how to reach Neal.

"You know that I was adopted and the record sealed. It was in my background check and is tucked away in my personal files. However, what we didn't know is that Neal is also adopted with a sealed file. Our records have been processed by the same agency and our DNA was compared this month. We're full-blooded biological brothers." Peter knew that was going to be a big surprise.

Hughes furrowed his brows and steepled his fingers as he leaned back in his chair to absorb that.

"There are two problems with that. First, I'm his handler and now his older brother so that could raise ethical issues considering the policies on families being in the same team. Second, I already totally blew it with him." Unable to remain seated, Peter moved to pace despite Hughes raising an eyebrow in question. The man would obviously have a lot to say, but he was letting Peter get it all out before he would act.

"You've seen how Neal and I interact in the office. He does the job well and although he doesn't act like your typical criminal, he is still a convicted felon. Although I've gotten comfortable having him around, I do remind him of that difference. Jokes about putting him back in prison, making sure the anklet is on and functioning after an undercover operation, I check it often to know where he is and what his habits generally are when I'm not there, and so on." Running a hand through his hair, he realized that it might be a family thing he shared with Neal, and for a second he was glad he had someone to watch for family similarities before he remembered that said person would be avoiding him for some time.

"And? That can't be everything that happened." Hughes prompted him to continue.

"No, that is part of it, but not the ultimate issue of what I did. When we talked about it before the meeting, he talked like my life is charmed; he actually called my life perfect minus the lack of biological history. However, I didn't say anything back to indicate why someone would want him as their family, not one single word of positive support! I could have said that's he's smart with a lot of potentials and although he made judgmental errors in his past, he is taking the responsible route by doing his time and he could do something real and lasting with his life. It would have been true and at least something." Snorting, it was something he'd realized during one of the thousand reruns he'd gone through during the night. "Every one of those conversations was more one-sided than they should have been. Still, that's only getting closer to what I did."

Turning to face Hughes with his hands on his hips, Peter was still angry with himself. "When we were driving to the agency for our appointments, I said a bunch of things about how we're nothing alike so it wasn't like they were going to say we're related. He went silent after that but I thought it was just because we'd arrived at the agency so he was nervous. They had some meetings run over which dominoed until I decided to merge our appointments. We couldn't possibly be related, so what was the harm? While we read through the results, I was thinking those things; that we're different in every way including being a cop and a con, but I was saying it out loud even though I didn't realize it at the time. Then I asked if they were certain we're related which prompted the test being redone." Deflating as he once again remembered the stoic expression Neal had worn ever since; he dropped his hands to his side. "To pile on to everything else I'd done, I utterly rejected the only biological family I've ever met before even taking the time to think about it."

Hughes had one of the most severe frowns Peter had ever seen, but he couldn't blame the man. This posed a risk to the entire team, but particularly his best partnership. "Are you okay?"

"No, but I don't see a way to fix this anytime soon." Peter ran his hand over his face yet again. There was no point in hiding the obvious.

"Sit," Hughes ordered while watching him with concern.

"How is Neal handling the situation?" Like Peter had done, his boss was gathering the information for the whole picture.

"He isn't handling it very well either. Neal intercepted the second test's results and forged them to look negative thinking it's what I wanted. Then he gave me something of a verbal body slam by quoting me when I confronted him about it. Now he seems determined to avoid me in every means possible." Peter said glad he had sat down as his energy was waning. It had been a long night with little sleep and the emotional drain made it harder to handle.

"Is that what you wanted?" Hughes poked him with a hard question.

"Maybe, briefly, but not once I'd thought about it. As Elizabeth said, Neal is one of the few people who can keep up with me while making me work for anything I get. He may not be the ideal I would have described to you growing up, but he's the brother I have and he's got his own points of value. The man is my most favorite criminal because it was thrilling to chase him and I can't help but respect the honor he puts into being a gentleman thief. I like him as a person in general. He's smart, funny, creative, and he's brought a whole new kind of enjoyment to the job. And it's not just me either; the entire team seems to pick up on his cheery disposition. If it wasn't for his criminal history, I don't think we'd have any real problems." Peter looked up at his boss as he earnestly described the positive attributes of his brother, the things he'd forgotten before.

"I see, so you don't mind him as a brother, but you aren't thrilled about it. The connection does complicate things." Hughes started to describe what he was thinking, but Peter couldn't leave it at that.

"It isn't that," he interrupted. "For some crazy reason, I'm fortunate enough to have a guy who was becoming something of my best friend turn out to be my brother. By the time I got the envelope, I was looking forward to the results hoping for the connection and it hurt to read that he wasn't family after all. Now I'm angry at myself."

"Well, it still complicates the situation, but I'm glad for you Peter. Neal, he may be a rascal, but I have noticed that he has his own sense of honor and morals. Although I don't want his negative traits rubbing off on you, he is a good asset to this team and I'd hate to lose him." Hughes surprised him with a small smile. The agent wasn't exactly fond of the con, but he could see his good traits and the benefits of having him around.

Relaxing some, Peter spent a while talking to Hughes as they discussed the positive and negative effects of what it would be like for Neal to either stay or be removed from their team.

When he left the office, he knew Hughes was going to wait a little bit before calling Neal up. Since the brothers were to be working on their relationship, he didn't want to draw public attention to their situation just yet.

*******

Acting on his first plan, Peter decided to start small. Coffee, it was something that was like gold in the office when they were doing a lot of paperwork. He tried to play it off like it wasn't a big deal by bringing in a carrier with drinks for Jones and Diana as well to see if Neal would accept it from him as a part of a team offer.

Walking into the office, Peter angled the carrier for Diana and then Jones to take their cups. They were grateful and each took a happy sip of real coffee to start their day.

Turning when Neal walked in behind him, Peter lifted the carrier indicating that the fourth cup was for him.

Neal just held up his own cup that he was already drinking and moved to settle into his desk.

Although it hurt, Peter understood that he was still in the dog house and he couldn't blame Neal for hiding from him. He had hurt Neal far worse, and in a way he couldn't just recover from.

Fortunately, Blake hadn't had his morning coffee yet so he was happy to accept the remaining cup as the next available person to pass by.

Waving Jones and Diana off, Peter indicated that he wasn't talking about what had transpired and to leave Neal alone about it too.

*******

His second plan didn't go any better.

Peter waited until a large art show was passing through at a museum outside of Neal's radius. It was exactly the kind of show that Neal would love to see, the kind that he'd begged anyone and everyone to take him too in the past. In anticipation of Neal wanting to go, Peter had bought two tickets, one for Neal, and one for whomever he passed them to for taking Neal. The plan was to have 'gotten them as a result of one of El's events' so that no one would feel guilty but he could give his brother something he'd enjoy. Sure, Neal wouldn't necessarily know it had come from him, but he was biding his time trying to build something of a foundation that the kid might notice.

He didn't expect Neal to remain silent and serious. There wasn't a single comment about his desire to see the show, not even when Diana offered to take him.

Neal was taking his 'nothing but a con' act to the limit without doing anything illegal that they could complain about.

Not knowing what else to do, Peter laid them in Neal's keyboard on his way out one evening so he'd find them in the morning.

They were back in his keyboard the next day with a note to take Elizabeth.

Either Neal knew they'd come from him, or he'd thought about his wife and her love of art, which reason didn't matter because they both meant that his plan didn't work.

Elizabeth learned from Mozzie that Neal had asked him to use his Russian surplus technology to film the art show for Neal so that he got to see it without leaving his radius or having to inconvenience any of the suits.

This was going to be trickier than he'd thought.

*******

Pulling out his big guns, Peter had enlisted Elizabeth to invite Neal over for dinner thinking that he would give in to Elizabeth like he usually did and that maybe they could talk. Even if they ended up fighting, getting words out into the open would be better than this silence.

Elizabeth made the planned visit to June so that she conveniently ran into him and remarked how she hadn't seen him in a while.

Neal had been polite and agreed that it had been a while, but he made no effort to rectify that.

Following the script, she asked him over for dinner as she was making his favorite on Friday and he might like to join them.

Neal was conveniently busy, and he seemed to have an excuse for any time she gave him so he was actually just busy anytime she wanted him to do anything outside of professional office work.

It was disappointing, but only reinforced Peter's fear that Neal might never forgive him.

*******

As they worked another stagnated case, Hughes assigned Peter and Neal to an all-night stakeout hoping to either get a break in the case or to provide a chance for his best partnership to work their issues out. Either way, he was banking on a win and Peter hoped they wouldn't let him down.

Picking Neal up at June's, Peter watched as he opened the back door and sat a bag of things on the floor-boards where he could reach them before he closed the door and moved to the front. As he opened his door and slid in, Neal barely gave him a courtesy greeting before sitting back quietly to watch the traffic flow by.

In an effort to make conversation, Peter asked various questions and discussed information on the case to which Neal provided direct answers and insights relevant to the work.

When they arrived at the location, the conversation transitioned to their initial observations before falling silent. Instead of picking up a general conversation as he always had in the past, Neal reached behind him for a stress ball to squeeze while he leaned back and quietly watched the building in question.

Taking his opportunity, Peter said the summary of what needed said, "I was wrong." Reaching out, he had to grab Neal's hand to prevent him from turning up the radio directly, "and I'm sorry I was such an idiot." Then he released Neal to turn up the radio as a means of filling the awkward silence. If nothing else was successful for the evening, at least he'd finally gotten to say those words to his brother.

Settling back into his seat, Peter watched the building as was the official purpose of this endeavor but he also kept some of his attention for his passenger.

Neal seemed to manage the evening well enough as he had a thermos of hot coffee, some food, and a few things to help him keep occupied if he started to struggle with the boredom. Peter had also prepared so he was easily able to manage for the night in general. It was the pain of having his brother sitting not three feet from him and refusing to even talk about the weather than got to him.

As the hours crawled by, Peter fought not to sigh or antagonize Neal. He wanted to make him talk, scream at him if need be, but a stakeout wasn't the time for that so he continued to work and wait. Even if he only got a few words here and there or failed attempts to reach out, he wasn't giving up. Neal was the only family he'd ever met and he wasn't going to let him go without giving it everything he had.

Fortunately, they got a break in the case as a man entered the building early the next morning. Although the two men worked together to take the pictures and collect the information for analysis back at the office, it was a testament to Neal's mastery of avoidance when he managed to keep his distance all night, even when enclosed in a small space unable to get away.

*******

Some plans Peter tried again, others he scrapped as utter failures, but he kept trying. Even riling Neal up with the intention of making him scream at him didn't get Peter anywhere.

Neal was utterly determined to refrain from showing any kind of emotion other than distant professionalism; he refused to interact in any fashion beyond that of the office and any necessary fieldwork, with any of them.

Peter was particularly in the dog house, but he'd taken the entire team with him and everyone noticed.

They all tried to get through to Neal in their own ways, but nothing seemed to penetrate Neal's protective shield that he'd constructed around himself.

*******

Eventually, Hughes called Peter up to his office to deliver the news of the verdict on him being the handler for his brother.

Taking the seat in front of the desk, Peter accepted the file and flipped it open to see what had been determined for his brother's and his futures. "They want me to remain as his handler with the theory that I will be beneficial to his rehabilitation," he summarized. Neal had been right; they were gung-ho for the plan thinking he'd have the familiar leverage to control Neal in a way that would be beneficial to his rehabilitation. Their superiors were wrong though, because if Peter tried to use any such form of emotional manipulation, he'd push Neal further away while hating himself more.

"It's what we hoped for. At least you'll look after his well-being and be able to keep him safe where another agent might take him for granted." Hughes reiterated the primary reason why they wanted Neal to remain with them. The professional perks of his intelligence and skills were a given, but it would be easier for Peter to focus and handle the situation if he wasn't worrying about Neal under the care of someone else, especially if he ended up with agents like Rice or Ruiz.

"Yeah," Peter sighed. He was pleased to keep his brother under his protection, but he was still worried about their relationship in general. "Thanks, Reese" there wasn't much to be said as they'd already discussed the situation thoroughly.

Hughes nodded at him before watching him leave the office to return to his duties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Alrighty, several of my family are leaving tomorrow with the intent of touring and possibly signing papers early this week on rentals in the area we're looking to move to. If this goes to plan, we will confirm our tentative 2-week notices and leave soon. This means that I will be busy helping to pack up the rest of the house and transitioning quickly. Despite how busy we'll be, I'm hoping to retain my weekly post and possibly fit in posting what I've dubbed the 'Farewell Series' inspired by memories of my current work that will be terminated with the move. I just wanted to let you all know since I might miss a post, post extra, or have delayed response time as we transition here.


	5. The Decision

*******

The weeks had drawn into months and Peter still hadn't made any progress with Neal. His only consolation was that his plea not to take his act of stupidity out on the team seemed to have worked.

Neal was back to allowing the team to interact with him in the office, but he was still avoiding anything beyond professional parameters. Only a few agents were affected by this, but Jones and Diana had both made comments about missing the times they'd hung out with Neal to grab a bite after a long day before going home or asking him for his insight into things regarding their personal lives.

Elizabeth was still forced to conspire with June to even see Neal and then he only remained politely distant while June herself lamented the lack of laughter around the place as Neal no longer seemed to lighten up and relax even in his downtime.

*******

Working on another case, Peter was assigned to take the lead role in an undercover operation. The group wasn't known for getting caught so they were going in nearly blind and the FBI wanted an agent present just in case something happened that could take them down.

Doing the work, Peter performed as muscle and simply had to observe what was going on while making sure no one interrupted it. However, when a problem arose and they needed a specialist, Neal just happened to be available and have an alias capable of doing the job.

As Neal moved into the operation and began to get chummy with the suspects, Peter couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Only a few months ago he could talk and laugh with Neal like that. He only had himself to blame so he couldn't complain, but that didn't mean he couldn't regret his actions or miss the comradery with his friend and brother.

Once they had the feel for how the organization worked and knew what their plan was, Peter and Neal gathered the team back at the office with the intent of coming up with a sting to take make the arrest. Bouncing ideas, Peter felt another absence of Neal's former personality. He didn't tell alleged stories to help make the conversation easier or more interesting, there weren't any jokes to alleviate the tensions in the room, or any effort taken to make the team calm and relaxed for the complicated job ahead of them.

Catching Neal's arm before they went into the field on the day of the bust, Peter was serious when Neal turned towards him with a frown. "Take care of yourself in there; we don't know what their plan is for you as you aren't in the final stage. We haven't been able to find any witnesses to indicate how they've accomplished your specialty in the past but we have heard of other specialists disappearing after jobs like this being pulled in their areas."

"Don't worry about me; I can take care of myself." Neal tried to pull his arm away as he turned towards leaving.

Holding tighter and pulling harder, Peter forced him to remain while looking at him again. "I can't do that, and you know it. This operation can't be called off or escalated as we don't have enough evidence to take them all down so they'd only scatter and there are lives at stake if that were to happen. However, I get a strong sense that I might lose you in there so I'm telling you, be careful!" Although Neal stiffened and didn't reciprocate, Peter hugged the man needing to feel that comfort of knowing his brother was safe.

Unable to do anymore, Peter let Neal go even as everything in him screamed that it might be the last time he saw the kid alive. Still, there was nothing more that he could do as they had extensive backup and a plan in place.

Moving to go his own way, Peter went to work for the operation.

Fortunately, his counterparts took his behavior as signs that he was focused and cautious about their big plans for the day. Peter got clapped on the back and encouraged to keep his eyes open just in case.

Everyone had a job to do so some were gathering up supplies into vehicles while others were herding people to their ride for the final portion of the operation to ensure everyone and everything went where they were supposed to go.

Peter was assigned with another guard to watch over the area where Neal was loading a vehicle with supplies. He wouldn't be accompanying them further so he'd been assigned as additional hands towards getting the final phase underway.

When Neal completed his task and the vehicle had taken off, the other guard and Peter were assigned to accompany Neal into another portion of the building.

Walking along, they focused on where they were going and what might be waiting for them but neither could get anything out of the guard. Therefore, they weren't entirely surprised when he cocked his gun at Neal's back while a third guard stepped forwards to bind Neal to a pipe with plastic zip ties.

Standing to the side where he was as close to Neal as possible without being obvious, Peter wondered what was transpiring.

"He isn't a part of the organization," the boss stepped into the room to give the final verdict of whether Neal would be allowed to live or not.

Neal started talking and tried to give them a reason to include him in the organization for future operations, but the boss didn't seem interested.

By making a comment about his death leaving a larger score for the rest of them, Peter gave the distress signal but he feared it would be too late. Some had already left for the final sting where another team would catch them, and those who remained were all over the place. He had a whole team on the premises ready to move into action, but they weren't likely to arrive in time to prevent what was already transpiring.

"He's seen too much," the boss waved his hand with the order for Neal to be eliminated.

Watching Neal while the third guard lined up his shot, Peter would have given nearly anything for Neal to be inspired at that moment, for the situation to change and his silver tongue to work as it always had before. Neal's hands were bound behind him while his feet were bound to the pipe to keep him from squirming as the guard had commented when he'd bound him. The kid was completely helpless to get out of this. But, what terrified him the most was when he saw Neal's expression fell into acceptance. He stopped fighting; he didn't even try to come up with another way to get himself out of the mess he was in.

As the guard was taking his shot, Peter automatically stepped into the path of the bullet and took it in Neal's place. He saw the surprise on the faces of the men before him, heard the sharp intake of breathing from behind him as Neal hadn't expected this. After a delayed reaction he felt the bullet punch into his chest just next to center mass pushing him backward off of his feet and sending him crashing to the floor. Hitting his head on the hard concrete, Peter saw only blackness and barely heard the panic in Neal's breathing before another blow to his head knocked him into oblivion.

*******

Bound to the pipe, Neal knew this was likely to be his end. He'd survived being shot to death twice before, but who could guarantee his survival a third time? It wasn't like black ops CIA agents were around with the top of the line medical equipment to revive him again. Peter would have paperwork, the team would feel like they failed, June would have to deal with the loft being empty again, Agent Winters as Mozzie would have to find another protégé, and the agencies would all need to find new approaches to the operations he was involved in. However, as he'd learned from experience with his previous deaths, they would all move on with their lives as they didn't need him. Waiting for it to come, Neal resigned himself to his fate.

A movement and a bang happened, but he didn't feel anything so it took a few moments for him to realize why. With a gasp, he understood that Peter had stepped in front of him and had taken the bullet.

Shocked, he realized that he hadn't counted on the white knight aspect of Peter, the behavior that refused to leave any of his team to take a bullet while being fully bound. Just like he couldn't let a lie pass, Peter would take responsibility to protect his team even if he meant his life.

Watching in horror, Neal saw Peter lying on the ground in front of him as the guard stepped forward to finish him off by raising his gun to aim at Peter's head.

Pulling at his binds with all of his might, Neal knew he couldn't do anything to prevent what was transpiring right in front of him.

One bang was quickly followed by another as Peter's head jerked from a glancing blow to his temple and the guard fell across him.

"Freeze, FBI," the team came into the room with their guns raised to catch what appeared to be the boss of the organization personally overseeing a murder with two of his guards.

Most of the agents went to work on taking the bad guys down but Jones crouched over Peter checking him for a pulse. His radioing for an ambulance was a good sign that Peter was still alive, but his condition alone didn't bode well.

Still straining against his binds, Neal couldn't take his eyes off of Peter as he asked Jones how he was doing.

No one commented that it was the first time in months that he'd shown anything beyond professional attention to Peter because this wasn't a normal situation. It had only been Diana's shot that had saved their boss's life so they were all shaken.

"Not good, his pulse is slowing down and his breathing is shaky. He's alive, but if help doesn't arrive soon I don't know how long that'll last." Although Jones was applying initial first aid in an effort to increase Peter's chances of survival, his voice was serious as he said what he didn't want to admit.

"No, no, no, no!" Neal panted, "He's got to be alright!" This was Peter he was talking about, a man who had loving parents, an adoring wife, and a team who relied on him. Peter was needed; he couldn't die and leave them all behind.

Falling to his knees, Neal was trapped in a very uncomfortable position as his hands caught on the pipe to be stuck behind him at a higher angle than they should have been forcing his shoulders into awkward positions while his ankles were bent to their limit against the binds. Not caring, he didn't even try to straighten himself out no matter how much he felt the blood flowing down his arms and into his socks.

The medics arrived and quickly took Jones' place in handling Peter's life. In the transition, they commented when Peter stopped breathing so they went into action to bring him back as his heart stopped moments after.

As Jones moved to Neal's side, he worked to release the catch of his hands so that they weren't caught at such an angle, but his work was slow as his eyes were also on Peter waiting for a sign of continued life.

Hearing the medics announce that Peter was with them again, a collective breath was let out as the room started breathing while they shifted Peter onto the gurney.

Able to focus again as Peter was wheeled out of the room; Jones put more attention into cutting Neal out of his binds starting with his feet so that he could resume circulation to them. Once he'd cut that bind, he moved to his hands and then helped him move to a seated position. Working together, they rubbed feeling into Neal and Jones shifted to giving Neal a check over despite his protests.

"When Peter is back on his feet, he'll have my hide if I don't check you over. You may not have been shot, but you've cut your wrists and ankles up pretty thoroughly tearing through the skin in several places so you need to get checked out." Helping him up, Jones got Neal to his feet before escorting him out to a vehicle. He didn't put the anklet on him as he wanted those injuries checked out first, but he told him to wait there for him and he'd take him to the same hospital as Peter as soon as he could.

Pulling out a first aid kit, Neal knew how to handle his injuries fine enough, it was just the awkwardness of applying such care to himself that he struggled with. At least the efforts to staunch the bleeding and prevent further damage kept him occupied while he focused on the medical process and the physical challenge.

After a while, Jones returned and was soon driving them to the hospital. He made light conversation apologizing for taking so long and commenting on how Neal appeared to have handled his injuries quite well.

"You can't go to the hospital when you're on the run. Knowing basic first aid can be the difference between life and death in the field no matter which side of the law you're on." Neal gave the basic explanation knowing Jones would lean towards the criminal hint not realizing that Neal had actually learned medical procedures in his field training for the CIA.

With a general comment of an agreement, Jones didn't have much to say. He fell quiet and focused on traffic.

Also watching the vehicles move and stop, pass or turn, Neal let the traffic become background music as he tried to numb his mind. However, despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake the images of Peter's worry that morning before they went to work as he asked him to be careful, the look on Peter's face as he landed in front of him seeming so accepting of his choice, and the voices of the paramedics as they stated that Peter had crashed when both his heart and breathing stopped while his brother had become completely still. Breathing in with a shaking breath, Neal ran his hand through his hair nervously before he clasped his hands together in an effort to stop the vibrations going through his body.

Felling a hand on his shoulder, Neal looked over to see Jones glancing at him while he waited for the light to change. "I know something has been going between you and Peter, and I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but feel free to talk if you need to."

Opening his mouth to speak, Neal's voice cracked and squeaked so he cleared his throat before trying again. "He took my place." The sting of tears filled his eyes and he turned to look out the window like it would hide his pain.

Squeezing his shoulder, Jones didn't say anything the team didn't already know. "He's always been protective of you, Neal. It doesn't matter what crimes you've committed, he sees your potential and he's always been willing to take the risk to help you become that. As I said, I don't know what he did to hurt you and cause the distance you've been so diligent in keeping, but whatever it was, it isn't something he'll allow to stop him from looking out for you." With another squeeze to his shoulder, Jones dropped his hand back to driving as he navigated traffic when the light changed.

The reminder of what Peter had said caused a few of the tears to overflow and run down his cheek. Neal wasn't ashamed of it; Jones wouldn't laugh or insult him as the agent's voice was wavering too so he was also affected in his own way. However, it wasn't something Neal typically allowed to be seen by others so it felt strange to cry in the company of someone else.

Arriving at the hospital, Jones escorted Neal in to see a doctor for a double-check of his injuries.

Going through the process, Neal answered the doctor's questions and quietly allowed him to do whatever he needed whether it was to administer shots or re-bandage the injuries.

With the process completed, he was released to join Jones, Diana, and Elizabeth in the hallway taking a seat to wait for news about Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Thank you, I appreciate everyone's well wishes on our transition :D Coincidently, my family is making a decision this weekend, we're going to see a house tomorrow and might be signing paperwork. Fingers crossed!


	6. Why

*******

Why? It was a question that plagued Neal, despite knowing the answer. Of course, Peter would protect the defenseless. But, why did he have to take the bullet for him? Why couldn't he let Neal die instead, the man no one needed? For the first little while, Neal was distracted through his worry as the question continued to reverberate through his thoughts. Why?

*******

There wasn't anything in particular to do as they waited so, after a while, Jones opted to talk to Neal using the task of getting his statement as an excuse.

Following him down the hall to use a side room, Neal knew Jones might also be trying to avoid the painful sight of watching Elizabeth fight the tears as she worried about her husband. Diana was keeping her company, but it was still a difficult situation to see.

"Okay, walk me through it," Jones instructed as he used some paper to jot down the general information. "We can get this over with while it's fresh and pass the time to getting good news. So, when did the situation begin to deteriorate?"

It wasn't hard to talk through the initial part where he finished loading a truck and was given his new assignment. There wasn't an obvious contact that he'd seen so either it transpired while he was working or it was previously arranged somehow. The walk seemed odd as the guard hadn't been willing to talk like he had in times past, but it wasn't obvious until the guns came out. By then, although Peter had given the signal, it was too late for help to arrive in time.

"I know this is going to be hard, but tell me what happened as they gave the orders to kill you." Jones prompted him to continue.

Detailing the sight of the boss waving his hand carelessly and giving the order hurt, but it wasn't the worst part. That was the following part as he described knowing he was going to die and his acceptance of it before realizing that it was Peter taking the potentially fatal shot in his place. He tripped and stumbled over describing Peter's fall, the acceptance on his face, the moment when he stopped breathing, and ultimately the knowledge that he had briefly died right there in front of him.

With the information he needed, Jones switched tactics. "Why were you so accepting of your impending death? I've always known you to be a fighter."

Of course, Jones had caught on to the negative feelings and was poking further to see how deep they went and how much attention he would need. Did it rate professional attention, or was it something he could monitor with Diana's help? Trying to keep the damage as minimized as possible, Neal tried to downplay the situation. "I was bound hand and foot to a solid pipe in a basement far from help and safety. The odds weren't very good that I would survive after my verbal attempts at persuasion proved fruitless. Peter was there, but there was no guarantee he would be able to do anything considering he was outnumbered and outgunned."

"Did it cross your mind that he might not find you worth saving?" Jones's stare was penetrating as he asked that.

Flinching, Neal didn't appreciate Jones picking up on his emotional signals. He was a spy; he should be able to hide such things better. However, Neal also knew that this was personal as Peter was his brother and Jones was not only a really good agent, he was also a friend. "Peter finds anyone worth saving. He'd protect a murderer to throw him in prison and throw away the key." Which wasn't a lie, Peter believed in the sanctity of life and how it was his job to save those he could.

Jones didn't argue with him, but he also seemed to have taken note of his reaction for further review with Diana.

Leading him back to where the others were waiting, Jones took his seat and shared a glance with Diana promising to exchange information later. She returned his nod but retained her general focus on Elizabeth as she promised Elizabeth that the responsible man was dead while his boss was in custody facing full charges for what he'd done.

Passing the time, they managed to awkwardly wait until the doctor arrived to update Elizabeth on Peter's condition.

Remaining just behind, Neal stood with the agents listening to the information but honoring Elizabeth's position as the wife to be the focus of attention.

What surprised Neal, was when Elizabeth heard that Peter had fallen into a coma with a limited chance he'd survive the night, she turned and grabbed him before burying her face into his shirt and sobbing.

Wrapping his arms around her, Neal tried to provide what comfort he could, but he still didn't know why she would come to him. Technically he was the nearest family member she had to turn to, but he wasn't really family though, so why didn't she go to Diana? The agent was standing closer and had been the source of her comfort for the last few hours while they'd waited for news.

Guiding Elizabeth to a seat, Neal tried to make her comfortable and ensure she was well supplied with tissues and a trashcan for their disposal. However, when he tried to lean away from her to provide emotional distance, she caught his hand and pulled him closer again refusing to let him go.

Seeing a chance for a break, Diana went to fetch water and returned shortly to ensure Elizabeth remained hydrated.

Keeping each other company, the group waited some more until Peter was settled into the ICU with a room of his own and a team on duty to monitor him. Giving the odds that he wouldn't survive the night, they allowed the family and friends to take turns seeing him as they saw fit. There were rules though, they could only be in the room one at a time and they couldn't have any negative effect on Peter's condition.

Of course, they sent Elizabeth in to be with Peter so the others went down to the cafeteria giving her as much time as possible to sit by his side uninterrupted.

Unable to eat much, Neal, Jones, and Diana each picked at their food mostly breaking it up and pushing it around their plates, but they tried to force some down despite the emotions that fought every step of the way.

When they returned, Elizabeth was shaking as she tried to deal with how pale and still Peter was.

Taking her for a walk, Diana accompanied Elizabeth while Jones went in to see Peter for a few minutes.

Neal waited in his seat until Jones came back before leaving directly after with the excuse of retrieving coffee. The agent was also shaken by the sight so he retreated to handle the initial reaction alone.

Seeing that no one else was in the room or waiting nearby, Neal decided it was a good opportunity to say what might be his last goodbye in private.

Walking into the room, Neal observed how it was a small space focused on the bed with machines around it. They were linked to Peter through wires and tubes and either providing some function that continued to keep him alive or they were carrying fluids to or from his body. The blankets were those plain things that were never warm or heavy enough while his gown was just a standard hospital model. Peter himself though, his head had bandages around it showing that he had been hurt and minor surgery had been done to relieve the pressure on his brain. His face was half-covered by the machine that was breathing for him. As expected, he was pale and still, the essence that was Peter seemed to be lacking from this shell of the man he was.

If there was a guarantee that Peter would live, Neal might have teased him about sounding like Darth Vader with the synthesized breathing. But, there was no guarantee, and Neal couldn't even begin to find anything funny about the machine pumping air into his brother's lungs.

Taking the seat by Peter's side, Neal sat down while his eyes continued to roam Peter's face. He was too pale and too still to be sleeping so it was upsetting.

Turning his attention to Peter's nearest hand, Neal focused on that while he talked. "I can't get the question out of my head. Why did you take that bullet for me? As I told Jones, I know you would protect a helpless victim, even a murderer to throw him into prison, but why me? You know our parents sealed the adoption files so that we could never find who they are. They don't want anything to do with either of us. But, what you don't know is that my adopted father left when I was three. His greed got the better of him and he followed the path it led him down until he ruined himself and destroyed everything any of us had. Although my adopted mother didn't physically leave, she sunk into depression and forgot that I even existed most of the time. Somehow, I think her lies that I had 'my father's blue eyes' made her remember what he'd done so she chose not to be reminded. Later, I made a friend. He's a lot like you really. Chuckles, he went on to become one of the most heroic agents of our generation, a real legend. However, to keep him alive to someday become that, I had to do something, something I don't think he'll ever fully forgive me for. For years, I ranked as his most hated person ever in his mind. It's not surprising that his father taught me a lot in return for protecting his son, but the last time I saw him, even the old agent ultimately told me to never contact him or any of his family ever again. In working with the old agent though, I was technically killed more than once, and I'm still a walking dead man if anyone should connect the two identities to being the same person, so I know how easily the people in my life move on when I leave. Based on that, it wasn't surprising that you asked for the tests to be redone. No one has ever stuck around or wanted me about for long, I'm not needed by anyone."

Sighing with a quivering voice, he tried to stop babbling things that could get them both killed if Peter lived for it to matter. "You said I made it sound like you have a charmed life, but by comparison, you do. The parents who adopted you have loved and supported you through everything and you were lucky enough to meet Elizabeth. She's an amazing woman who adores you and although I can see why I don't know how you managed to attract her in the early days before your good qualities could show through your bungled attempts at flirting. Maybe she found your inability to flirt and charm as attractive, an appealing show of your honest interest in her? Anyway, the team all look up to you and young agents are eager for the chance to learn under you while Hughes isn't afraid to use you as an example of what an agent should be. Peter, you have a lot of people who need you, depend on you, people you have to live for. So, why couldn't you think of them?"

Wiping his eyes and sniffling, Neal was losing the battle with his emotions. Leaning forward onto the bed, he crossed his arms and laid his head to rest on them while he tried to battle through the pain. It was too strong for his usual means of suppression to work so he ended up crying instead.

After a while, he managed to regain control enough to pull it together. Using the box of tissues by the bedside, he added to the trash can after cleaning himself up in a vain attempt to hide how much this was affecting him.

Reaching out to squeeze Peter's hand, Neal felt the need to show something of how much he still admired Peter from a distance. "You're one of the best agents I've ever known Peter, and I hope that someday you can find a brother to be proud of. But, first, you need to live for them. Live for those who love you and need you." With a final squeeze of his brother's hand, he turned and left the room.

Encountering Elizabeth just outside of the door in the hallway, Neal tried not to look her in the eyes as if that would prevent him from seeing her concern for her husband or for her to see his pain when she already had enough of her own to deal with. "Nothing has changed," Neal tried to reassure her before she could get the wrong impression.

Grabbing him and putting her arms around him, Elizabeth leaned into him and he could feel her tears dampening his shirt.

"Peter's got to be alright, Elizabeth, he's strong." Then in a mutter he knew she could probably hear, he tried to add a piece of hope. "I've survived similar injuries; it's possible he can fully recover given time and good care." Raising his voice again, he encouraged her to leave him and be with her husband. "But, he's going to need you to get through this."

Holding him tighter for a few moments, Elizabeth did eventually release him.

Going back to the seats, Neal used his phone to research the local medical staff. They had doctors that were competent enough to do the basic job, but they didn't have a stellar staff in the specialties that Peter would need. Based on their records, they were more ladder climbers who would go by the book without thinking outside the box. This would need some interference as his brother's life hung in the balance.

*******

Returning from her walk with Diana, Elizabeth went back to Peter's room eager to see her husband and ensure that he was still alive. Although she needed the break, she felt guilty and selfish for being gone in what could be his final minutes. The thought that he could die while she roamed the blasé halls had plagued her until she couldn't remain away from him any longer.

When she walked up to his door, she heard Neal talking to him. She might have missed something, but he was up to asking Peter why he'd taken the bullet for him. Having talked with Diana and Jones, she knew a little of what had transpired, but she hadn't realized that Neal was taking it so negatively.

Eavesdropping, she heard him share some of his history and the past rejections he'd endured. Based on his wavering voice, he'd been hurt so badly so many times, but Peter's rejection seemed to be his breaking point.

Neal was right that Peter's life had been rather comfortable, and she felt a small smile creep onto her face as she listened to his analysis of her. He was accurate though, she'd been attracted to Peter's inability to flirt and charm her. She knew that he wasn't just a slick person who talked up anyone he met, he was sincere and genuine, and his bumbling was absolutely adorable! Dabbling at her eyes, her happy memories weren't enough to keep the sorrow at bay for long, especially not as Neal continued with his question of why hadn't Peter thought of them.

She knew the answer to that. Her Peter would have thought of her, he would have known that he might not see her again, he would have thought of those people Neal mentioned, but he also would have been in the moment. He would have watched his brother's face fall with acceptance and he would have been determined to protect him, he would have seen his friend and someone he would die for in danger, he would have seen a victim bound hand and foot to a pipe unable to protect themselves. It didn't matter which reason, Peter would have protected Neal because he was Neal.

Looking up, she met Neal as he was exiting the room after having cried by her husband's side. She knew he'd asked Peter to live, but she also knew he hadn't included himself as a reason.

Neal got the wrong impression so she wrapped him in a hug and cried for this brother-in-law of hers. A man who had just alluded to being more than he'd shown them in a different way than they'd expected, a man who was hurting and unwilling to show it.

After Neal left, she went to Peter's side. "You're right, Neal is broken, and I don't think I can help him alone. He won't admit it, but he needs you, we all do." Then tears took over and she sobbed into his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, reviewing/commenting, and choosing to favorite my stories and me :D
> 
> Alright, this has been a long and complicated week! First, we got back from checking out a place to find Dakota sick with multiple infections so we've fought to get her through as her life depended on the outcome. Fortunately, she's responding to meds well and will hopefully be ready to move when her turn comes. Second, we got a rental in one of our top choice locations so we are officially moving. It isn't the ideal we hoped for, but it's ultimately intended to be a transition to get us out of our stagnation and hopefully onto to new and better. Third, for me, this has also brought my employment to an end so I'm posting "A Call to Remember" which will be followed by "The Dinosaur Game" to celebrate 13 years on the job and the coworkers I'm leaving behind. I don't know what the future holds, but we're going forward to meet it.


	7. Waiting

*******

Waiting is always difficult, but it is especially difficult when the final result is so important.

As the hours drew on, Neal made his escape on the pretext of taking his own walk to clear his head and stretch stiff muscles. Jones let him go with the notice that the anklet was set to trigger an alert if he left the premises of the hospital, but he wasn't planning on running. His goal was the privacy to make a phone call.

Dialing Beckman, Neal wasn't surprised when she answered his call, but he wasn't so sure how she'd receive his request.

At first, she was sleepy and didn't seem thrilled to learn that he'd awoken her for a personal issue, but when he said that it was Peter, her attitude changed. She listened as he described what had happened, what condition Peter was in, and the lack of creative expert care the hospital had on staff. "I wouldn't bother you if this wasn't important," he had added in his defense.

"I'm quite aware of your tendency to be creative and dramatic in protecting your friends." Beckman had confirmed with a frown as if the statement had brought unwanted memories of trouble to mind.

"It's not just that. We found out some months ago that Peter is my brother. He's the only biological family I've ever known, and although he insisted on the test being redone because he doesn't want to be brothers, I can't let him die when I know there is someone out there who might be able to prevent it." Neal admitted to the secret he'd been keeping. In fact, he was surprised the general hadn't picked up on the change in his files. Perhaps she hadn't been paying attention since he was on loan and not directly under her command?

To his surprise, her head snapped up and he had her complete attention. "You and agent Burke are brothers? Is it a complete biological match or just paternal?"

That was an odd question, Neal frowned as he answered, "Both maternal and paternal matches, we're full-blooded brothers. Is there an issue, general?"

Trying to regain her composure, she seemed unsettled but worked to mask it. "No, there isn't an issue. I assume you would like the doctors Woodcomb to be called in to assist in Burke's care?" She redirected the topic back to its point of origin.

"Yes, they're the only people I know with the intelligence and heart to pull him through this. He doesn't need someone who is going to go by textbook scenarios alone; he needs someone capable of thinking outside the box to give him the best care." Neal knew it sounded a bit ridiculous to some, but he also knew that medicine wasn't just about a basic line of scientific reasoning. Sometimes, sometimes it took something more to pull off the impossible and although some of that was beyond control, the extra element of something beyond the observable, what could only be explained as Godly intervention, he wanted to give his brother every advantage he could.

"I'll see what I can do," the general's face was uncharacteristically softer than he'd ever seen before as she signed off with only a momentary pause where she seemed to be observing him. It was strange behavior, but perhaps there was something to her history that he was unaware of, a personal parallel? Still, that didn't explain her direct line of questioning and why she didn't question their paternal markers.

Unable to find an answer, Neal decided to store it away as something to keep in mind, but as something that wasn't important to waste energy on. The general wouldn't give him enough information to put the pieces together, and he didn't contact her much anymore except a periodic check in every few months so he wouldn't have much opportunity to even try.

Pausing in front of a large floor to ceiling window in a side hallway, he took some time to stand and watch the first rays of the sun penetrate the horizon setting a faint glow onto the low hanging clouds. Despite the doctor's prediction, Peter was making it through the night.

Thinking, he was relieved that at least there was that for being brothers, they had a shared tendency to survive against the odds. Fortunately, Peter didn't have his penchant for getting into as much trouble though. It was bad enough to have to go through this once; Neal didn't want to be facing life and death scenarios on a regular basis. It would be too stressful, too painful to consider.

Remaining away to watch the sunrise, Neal hoped it was further proof that Peter was going to make it. Each minute the sun climbed and his phone didn't ring was another indication that his brother remained alive against the odds.

Hearing his phone ring once the light was spread across the ground, Neal lifted it and nervously checked the caller ID. It was the general so he was able to release some of the tension and answer.

"They're at the airport waiting to board the next Red Eye to New York. They'll be there by lunch. Agent Frost is watching Clara and will be along later in the day. I suggest you leave the hospital by then if you want to retain your distance from the Bartowski family. Most of them are heading your way." Beckman gave him the general update before also advising of the impending challenge. She was aware of his reasons to retain a distance from the family on a professional level. Bryce Larkin was dead to the world at large. Only she and a few other agents connected to his loan assignment were aware of his continued existence. He wasn't even sure how much information Agent Winters had on his past, and the man was his handler for this operation.

Thanking her for whatever strings she'd managed to pull in order to make the arrangements with both hospitals while also persuading the doctors to spend an indeterminable amount of time away from their home, Neal was grateful for the favor.

"This isn't a favor to you; let's just say I owe it to your parents." Then Beckman gave him the usual abrupt disconnect as the line went silent without any further explanation.

It was interesting to think Beckman knew something about his parentage. Their files were sealed, how could she possibly know anything? Adding it to the mystery, Neal watched the sunrise for a few more minutes before turning back towards the hallway where he'd spent most of the night. He intended to get a lift home and remain there for the duration of Peter's hospital stay.

When he arrived back to the seats, he found Diana asleep as she leaned against Jones' shoulder while he had his head leaned back against the wall and slowly falling towards Diana's head.

Pulling out his phone, Neal decided to snap a picture to commemorate the moment and realized that knowing Ellie and Devon were on their way seemed to have cheered him up. It was a testament to how much he trusted the hearts and minds of that family that he was no longer quite as worried about his brother.

After a few moments, Jones's head bumped Diana's jolting him awake which in turn woke her up.

Wiping his eyes, Jones was tired after the long day and an almost sleepless night. "How is he?"

"The same, but he made it through the night," Neal answered leaving them to assume that was what had him more relaxed.

"What did you do?" Diana questioned as she took in his expression.

"I didn't steal, forge or con so I'd have to say nothing," Neal deflected. He had made a phone call, but he didn't want the doctors' arrival to be traced to him.

"Maybe nothing criminal, but that' isn't what I was asking. You're not happy, but you look like something's taken a weight off of your shoulders so there has to be something." Diana commented as she stretched and tried to rub some kinks out of her neck.

"Can't I just be being glad Peter made it through the night?" Neal questioned. Why did people always have to think he'd done something?

Neither agent questioned him further, but he could tell that they were adding information to discuss with Peter when he woke up. His brother would be counting on them to watch him and update him later on what he'd missed while in the coma.

Checking on Elizabeth, they were able to get her to take a break which left them the opportunity to briefly see Peter before heading home for some rest. A few hours of sleep and the agents needed to be in the office for the paperwork and processing.

Taking his turn again, Neal didn't bother sitting down. He wasn't staying long so he just stood by Peter's side. "You've made it through the night which is a good start. However, from experience, I know you've got a long way to go before you'll be back in the office bossing anyone around. All I can say is listen to your doctors and take care of yourself. Do that, and you'll be fine." Tapping the bed as he thought, he decided to squeeze his brother's hand again before turning and leaving.

When Jones was ready, Neal was waiting in the chairs and was glad to go. Although there was still time before the doctors were expected, he didn't want to get detained and preferred to be safely home by the time they arrived.

Neal wasn't expected in the office for a few days so he knew that would complicate his intent to avoid Peter, but it was worth it to save his brother's life.

*******

Arriving at the loft, Neal sat down at the dining room table and pulled out his laptop. Loading up his screen, he went to work hacking the hospital in regards to his brother's file. When he finished, he had a link on his phone and computer set for alerts to come through for minor changes be they positive or negative while setting up text alerts for specific changes to easily monitor his brother's condition.

With the task done, he sent a message to Mozzie knowing he might want to visit the suit himself while also asking for updates after any visit as the agent would be able to add to the data updates with a more personal context.

Having done what he could, Neal changed into sleep clothes before dropping into bed. He'd stayed up all night before, but adding in the emotional context and he was exhausted.

*******

After waking up early in the afternoon, Neal had dressed and was moving around the kitchen space preparing a meal when he heard a pentameter knock on his door. Calling for Mozzie to enter, Neal wasn't surprised to glance up to find the man already entering of his own volition.

"How is Peter?" He asked before the smaller man could open his mouth to share.

"He's improving, at least a little. The doctors Woodcomb have reevaluated his treatment plan and they are trying some new procedures. Fortunately, it's already improved his statistics a little bit and they hope to have him awake by the end of the week." Mozzie stated as he walked over to where Neal was standing.

Breathing a little easier, Neal was glad to know it had been a right call to bring the doctors in. Peter's previous doctors had only managed to stagnate his condition's decline while predicting that he'd be lucky to live through the night. Now, he was not only improving, but they estimated that he could wake up in only a few days if he responded to the treatment well. It was a total reversal!

"What has everyone puzzled though is why some strings were pulled to get these doctors flown in. They aren't local, they're from Illinois, but the Doctor Devon Woodcomb looks more like a surfer dude from California if you ask me." Mozzie commented while watching him in general.

He was probably looking for a reaction to confirm some theory, but Neal wasn't giving in. Instead, he put his focus on cooking and used the memory of Beckman's words to channel a puzzled expression of his own. "Did the FBI call something in, maybe Hughes has heard of these doctors? We don't know all the people he, Jones, Diana, or even Elizabeth has met or heard of."

"Uh-huh, and I don't know all of the people you know or have heard of either. However, I do know that it was Beckman who ultimately made the request, and you are the only other person I know who links from Burke to Beckman. You don't have to spill, but at least let me know if you are the person behind it and not some unknown." Mozzie looked up at him with a straight and serious expression.

Sighing, Neal hung his head before smiling lightly as he looked back up at his handler. "Not much gets past you, does it?"

"No, now stop digressing. Did you make the call or do I need to be on the lookout for someone else?" Mozzie wasn't taking the distraction.

"Yes, I was treated by Devon once when an operation nearly went off of the rail. His wife has also crossed my path in the past. I know they're the kind of doctors Peter needs, the type to think outside of the box and with their hearts which increases his odds of surviving this. After he made it through the night I called Beckman this morning and she made the arrangements." He should have made the call earlier, but he was distracted by the shock and emotions resulting from the event. It wasn't a good sign of his abilities as a spy, but this was also personal in a way he wasn't accustomed to dealing with.

"I have one more thing I need to address. You and Peter have been having trouble for a few months now and I know you've refused to talk to anyone about it. But, I need to know if this is going to help you work through this or if it's going to make your difficulties worse. If I have to, I will pull the plug on this operation and bench you until you get things in order." It was one of those rare situations where Mozzie was more Agent Winters than his cover.

Giving it consideration as he cooked, Neal knew Winters wouldn't need an immediate answer, but he would need one soon. The agents were friends so this was about his safety and the stability of the operation.

Continuing to mull it over, he sat down with his food and gave it consideration. How did he feel about Peter? There was still the pain of his rejection and he was wary about letting the man get close to him for fear of him turning on him as a criminal again, but Peter had just taken a bullet in his place which made it hard to keep an emotional distance. "Really, I don't know. Peter is still unconscious and I don't know what was going through his head. "

Nodding his head, Winters weighed his own decision. "I'll slow the operation down for two weeks. This way we can still have information to report, but it will give you time to get your head back in the game."

Feeling lighter, Neal hadn't realized how much stress he'd been under to balance everything. "Thanks, I don't want to be benched, but this is totally new so I don't know how to handle it."

"Do you need to talk hypothetically?" Winters went back into Mozzie mode and he was a listening friend. Grabbing a glass, he made himself comfortable.

"Maybe I should, at least part of it." Neal went on to tell Mozzie about Peter treating him like he was nothing but a criminal and he felt like they'd gone from becoming friends to suddenly dropping back to being a cop and con. "There is more to it which is what makes his behavior so much more painful, but I don't want to talk about that yet, with anybody."

"Has he treated you like you were nothing more than a con since, and what is his normal treatment of you?" Mozzie made him think about the bigger picture which was something he'd been too afraid to address.

Sitting back, he started sharing stories of various interactions beginning back in their chase up to the point where Peter leaped in front of him to take the bullet in his place. As he talked, he realized that Peter didn't generally treat him like he was only a criminal. Sure, he had his moments when he zeroed in on that, but most of the time he treated him like another member of the team. However, it was those moments that made him uncomfortable as he couldn't predict them and they were always a blow below the belt.

Talking to Mozzie had helped him work through some of his frustrations. Considering that Peter was the only biological family he'd ever known, maybe he should at least let him back to an arms distance. Sure, he wasn't going to risk letting him get too close, but giving a bit shouldn't hurt.

*******

After a few days, Hughes wanted Neal where he could monitor him so he was allowed back to work on desk duty.

Sitting at his desk, he felt a text buzz on his phone in his pocket. Pulling it out, he checked the message seeing that it was an alert from his hack into the hospital. Smiling slightly, he was glad to see the news. Peter had woken up. It hadn't been for long, but he was still in there and they'd get their friend back once he recovered.

A few minutes later, Hughes had gotten the notice because he stepped out onto the landing and called the team to attention. "Peter woke up. He's back to sleep, but he's out of the coma."

There were mass sighs of relief and cheers as the team smiled happily. Peter had woken up and everyone could relax knowing he'd be okay.

Slowly, the initial reactions quieted, but the soft smiles that lingered were a testament to how much Peter mattered to these people.

Ducking his head, Neal was also glad Peter was recovering but seeing the faces reminded him how much the team really needed the man. It echoed through his mind again, why didn't Peter leave him to take the bullet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, commenting/reviewing, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Alrighty, a general update is that our house has sold and I'm at the new place now. Although I should be able to resume normal posting, I'm still working on getting things settled and then I'll have to go job hunting again here sometime... that will be interesting.


	8. Hospitalized

*******

Everything was dark and quiet and he felt disconnected as if he was drifting in that space between sleep and wakefulness.

*******

His first awareness was when he heard his wife crying and talking to him. He didn't get all of the words, but he knew she was hurting and asking him not to leave her. What frustrated him though, was that no matter how much he wanted to reach out and comfort her, to simply open his eyes and let her know he'd heard; he couldn't move or react in any way. Instead, he simply lay there and listened.

Then he heard Jones visit saying Diana was comforting his wife and Neal was taking the situation hard. They were doing their best to help the others, but they needed Peter, so the agent asked him to get better.

The visit that hurt the most though, was listening to his brother. His heart ached to hear Neal talk about the past rejections he'd endured and how lonely he must feel thinking no one really wanted him or truly cared. Neal had his friendship with Mozzie and the gracious caring of June to help him through, but somehow that wasn't enough. He longed for connection and belonging that always seemed to be just beyond his reach so he kept even those that he had at a distance to ease the pain of the ultimate rejection when it came. Wishing he could hug his brother and answer his question, Peter couldn't comfort him either so instead, he continued to listen.

Gathering his own information as he waited, Peter knew they were taking care of themselves and each other, but he knew they weren't entirely okay. They were hurting, but there was nothing he could do.

*******

Twitching his finger, Peter felt like he was waking up. His chest and head hurt so he was feeling more, but it was his ability to move that seemed the most freeing so he focused on that. Shifting his fingers slightly again, he felt a soft hand grab onto them as he heard Elizabeth move to stand over him.

"Hon?" she questioned with hope in her voice.

Working on his eyes, he wanted to see her, but it took a lot of effort to lift his lids. After a few moments, he managed to get a glimpse of light but closed his eyes again. Making another effort, he opened them again and slowly allowed himself to adjust to the change from the darkness.

It was the best sight he'd seen in a long time. Elizabeth looked rumpled and tired, but her smile was brilliant in her joy and her eyes were shining with tears at seeing him awake and responsive. Hugging his hand and kissing it, Elizabeth told him how glad she was to see him awake after the scare he'd given her.

He didn't have the strength to talk yet and it took a lot just to drink her in before his eyes started to droop.

Hearing a noise by the door, he saw two strangers walk in wearing doctor's coats. He didn't focus on them, but as he drifted off to sleep they started checking his stats on the machines and making some adjustments.

The pain eased and it was too much to resist drifting off to sleep so his eyes fell closed and he let himself relax into slumber.

*******

Slowly, a little with each time he woke up, Peter was able to regain his awareness and function.

*******

Reaching a point where he was sitting up and holding conversations, Peter was caught staring at the door.

"Neal hasn't been back," Elizabeth clasped his hand and explained. "He's either holed himself up in the apartment or at work, but Mozzie says he's helping to keep him updated so Neal knows your progress."

Sighing, Peter hadn't heard Neal since his parting so he knew that was likely, but he had hoped. "I'm not surprised. Considering what he said to me when he did visit, I hurt him deeper than he knows how to deal with. Even with being experienced at rejection and issues, this was more personal because I'm his biological family and a friend."

"You heard him? I was outside the door when he was talking, but you were in a coma." Elizabeth was surprised as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed for an easier conversation.

"Yeah, I heard you, Jones and Diana, him, a lot of those conversations really." Peter smiled slightly to see his wife's surprise. "I couldn't do anything about them, but I did hear."

"Doctor Woodcomb, Ellie, she said that some patients can hear what goes on around them while they're in comas, but I thought it was more likely as they came out of them, not while…" she drifted off but Peter knew she meant not while they're dying.

Reaching out to hold his wife's hand, Peter couldn't really hug her yet. His injuries were still healing and the equipment attaching him to the remaining machines around him made it difficult to even attempt such action, but holding hands was at least a source of comfort. "Apparently, it is possible to even in the depth of a coma." Letting her hand go, he reached up to her face and ran his thumb along her cheek while resting his hand against her skin. "You know I'll always come back to you if I can help it."

Crying, Elizabeth leaned into his hand and brought both of hers up to hold it. She really wanted the comfort of his proximity, but it was about the best she could do.

*******

Jones and Diana paid a visit and since he was stronger they settled in for a long conversation while Elizabeth had to do some work for a client.

It wasn't difficult to get the information from them, even if it was information he already knew, and Peter didn't like what he heard any more than when Neal had said it.

Neal was questioning his value as a person to those around him, which Peter already knew from Neal himself. However, he hadn't known that Neal was so physically reactive to the situation as he'd twitched and flinched around them several times, particularly Jones as he'd been watching Neal through the hours immediately following the event. It seemed that Neal was hurting and battling within himself to a point that he couldn't hide it anymore. Perhaps that was a good thing though.

Discussing the situation, Peter didn't tell them what he'd done to cause the situation, but he gave them an idea. "Do you remember Dentist of Detroit case, where I alluded that Neal was a con, always was a con, and always would be a con?" At their nods, he continued, "I pretty much said that without realizing it, and under the circumstances it was like running him over with a freight train. Now he's trying to protect himself from me and holding everyone at a distance as a result."

Frowning, Jones didn't seem to get it, "Neal knows about your no man left behind policy in that you'd take a bullet for a criminal even if it was just to arrest them, he said so himself, but he still questions why you'd take one for him because he's a criminal?"

"It's not his lack of value because he's a criminal that's the ultimate source of the issue; it's his value as a person that's the problem. When he visited while I was in the coma, he talked about deeper aspects of his past for the first time. I'm just the latest incarnation of a long line of issues," Peter explained some of what he'd heard from them and his answers to their questions before continuing to talk about Neal. "The best thing I can think of to do for him is to remind him of his value, and not just to the team as an asset either, he's got his value as a person. If he'll let me talk to him when I get out of here, I want to answer his main question myself."

Agreeing, Jones and Diana started discussing game plan options that they could use to work on Neal for improving his self-perception if they could help it. It wouldn't be easy to discern the source of his self-perception issues as he knew his value for his skills. Neal was smart, graceful, capable, and good-looking and he knew it. On the surface, he seemed to have it all, but looks can be deceiving.

*******

Starting into physical therapy, Peter was able to get up and around on his own for short trips. He'd started by walking his own hallway but was up to short explorations down nearby halls if he took breaks along the way. It was minor changes in the scenery at best, but after weeks of remaining in the same room, he welcomed what he could get.

On such a trip, he overheard the doctors Woodcomb trying to discern why they'd been called to oversee his recovery

"Do you mind my asking who contacted you? Peter asked to let them know he'd unintentionally overheard them as he moved to a nearby seat for a break.

"The original call came from someone you might almost call a family friend, considering she has worked in relation to my parents, brother, and sister-in-law. She used her position in government to make the rest of the arrangements saying it was a favor to her personally. We haven't been able to figure anything else out as we don't connect to anyone here and we don't know her personal life to figure out if that is her reasoning for making the request." Doctor Ellie Woodcomb explained vaguely while watching him closely.

Nodding, Peter shifted to get more comfortable for their conversation. "I know a lot of people in government, my boss knows more, and my friend recently revealed more of his history than I had known about before. However, based on his attitude from the first time he visited to the second, I'd say my friend was the one who did something. He was about as vague as you were a moment ago, but he did mention a connection to government and particularly knowing a family. It would make sense if he knew your government relations so he was aware of your medical skills and pulled strings indirectly on my behalf while keeping his promise to retain a distance for everyone's safety. I can't confirm it of course, but that's my theory."

It was Peter's turn to watch the doctors closely and sensing that Ellie was closest to the matter, he focused on her. She frowned and seemed to run through the vague information he had shared comparing it to the information she knew. Then her eyes got bigger before frowning indicating a theory.

"I see you have a theory as to who he might be in your life. Now, I have a question for you. If my friend is the person you just thought of, why would he be permanently banished?" Peter wanted to know if his brother had truly been as rejected as he'd stated or if he was blowing it out of proportion.

Giving it some thought, Ellie gave him her theory. "If he is the person I'm thinking of, then he got my brother expelled for something he didn't do, was used as an excuse for his girlfriend breaking up with him, and then got my brother into government work. Take your pick, he made a mess of my brother's life and we're protective of him."

Crossing his arms in thought, Peter could understand the desire to protect his brother, but at the extent of banishing his friend? Would he banish Mozzie if he seemed to be getting Neal into trouble? Snorting, he knew he wouldn't, couldn't, and shouldn't. Mozzie wouldn't leave Neal, Neal wouldn't take too kindly to his interference, and he wouldn't punish Neal for the behavior of his friend. "Did your brother have any say in the matter?"

"He was the one who refused to contact him for years after school and called him his most hated person ever." Ellie was adamant that her brother hadn't wanted anything to do with Neal after what he'd done.

Sighing, Peter didn't like the sound of it, but what she said matched what Neal had said so he got the answer he wanted, just not how he wanted it. Neal truly had been rejected a lot in his past and it wasn't a hyperbolized retelling to explain his actions. No wonder Neal wanted to keep those in his life at a distance. When everyone you care about turns around at some point and utterly rejects you, it's hard to let anyone close, especially those who've hurt you.

Rubbing his palms over his eyes, Peter wasn't going to let his emotions get the better of him in front of these strangers. "That means I've got a lot of work cut out for me."

"What do you mean by that?" Devon asked him curiously while watching him in concern.

"I've rejected him in my own way, and in a way he totally doesn't deserve, but I was too much of an idiot to think it all through until after the damage was done. Now I keep learning the depth of why my reaction hurt him so much and it isn't going to be easy to apologize to him or to work on his self-perception." Dropping his hands, he looked up at them to find them both staring at him. "Don't worry about it; he's my responsibility on pretty much every level so I'll work on it."

The doctors were quiet as they accompanied him back to his room and made sure he was comfortable after a quick checkup. Then they slipped away as he drifted off in a nap, but he overheard their whispers about whether or not they should have Chuck look into the situation before the door closed.

*******

As he healed, Peter got more and more restless. He was tired of being cooped up, wearing the flimsy hospital gown so that the doctors could do their tests and attach their monitors more easily, eating the bland hospital food, and sleeping alone to name a few of his annoyances. Based on the doctors' comments, it would be quite a while before he'd be able to join his wife, drink coffee, go for a run, or eat anything with too much flavor. The bullets had done their damage, but the repercussions on his heart and other organs that were too close to the damage meant it would take a while to recover completely.

*******

On the day of his release, Peter was excited to be going home. Although his life wasn't returning to normal yet, he was at least going to be able to be more comfortable at home. He could wear his own clothes, curl up on his own couch, watch his own television where his games were easily accessible, and pursue his own interests without someone constantly interrupting for some test or check-up.

Shaking hands with the Woodcombs when it was time to say goodbye, Peter was glad to have had their help. "I know you've been kept away from your lives back home, but I appreciate you coming and staying. From what I hear, you've saved my life. Thank you both for everything you've done."

Both doctors were happy to shake his hand and enthusiastically assured that they were thrilled to see him recovering and knew given time he could regain something of his life from before. He was scarred for life on his chest and the minor scars in his hair, but he was alive and he would eventually resume active duty. "The doctors here have our contact information to keep us updated on the rest of your recovery and you've got our phone numbers so give us a call if you have any questions."

They left for their flight home while Peter assisted his wife in the discharge paperwork. When they finished, a wheelchair was retrieved and Peter was on his way out the doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, and leaving kudos :D


	9. Recovery

*******

Recognizing the route his wife was taking, Peter turned to look at her questioningly.

Noticing his attention, Elizabeth took advantage of the light to return his questioning expression with one of her own. "Do you think you're up to it? I know you'll settle down more if you get this done."

Smiling as he realized his wife was taking him to visit his brother, Peter began coming up with ways to tackle the obstacles before pulling out his phone for a more direct means of doing it. Dialing June, Peter verified that Neal was home and had been being more open with her and Mozzie since his coma while confirming that the service elevator was in working order and she authorized him to use it as often as he needed until he could tackle the stairs again. Grateful for her assistance, Peter ended the conversation as Elizabeth pulled up in front of the mansion.

"We're lucky a good spot is available today. I get the feeling you're going to be exhausted after this." She was trying to ensure he didn't push himself too far, but she also knew he needed to talk to his brother.

This conversation had already been several weeks waiting and he didn't want to put it off any longer if he could help it. "Perhaps that will be a good excuse to get Neal to help." Peter tried to joke before correcting his comment at her concerned expression. "I'll take it slow and easy, hon. All I have to do is walk to the elevator and from it to the loft before reversing the order. It's not much more than meandering the hallways at the hospital with a few stairs at the entrance being the only difference."

Seeing his logic, Elizabeth got out and helped him exit his side of the car before slowly walking up to the door. The stairs hadn't been easy, but Peter managed them before taking a break to lean against a planter while they waited for him to be ready for the next leg of the trip.

Hearing the door open, Peter turned to smile as June stepped out with tears in her eyes. "I'm glad to see you recovering, Peter. Are you sure you're ready for this?" She eyed the way he seemed to be struggling with just the stairs.

"Thanks, June. It's been too long since I've been here to visit Neal and after what he said when he visited, this has been put off long enough. As for the physical aspect, I haven't done any stairs in several weeks and it's hard to believe how tiring they can be. Walking is easy enough though so the hardest part is past and I'll be alright to take this one portion at a time."

Lingering, June chatted with them about his progressive recovery and what Neal had been doing to get through during his absence.

When Peter was ready to go again, the group moved inside and escorted him to the elevator before riding up together. June insisted on a chair being taken so Peter could sit for the ride up as a brief reprieve and chairs were to remain near the elevator until his recovery in case he needed one at either end of the trip.

Reaching the fourth floor, Elizabeth gave him a kiss and wandered off with June to sit on the terrace while Peter talked to Neal. He was to call when he was ready to go but they wanted to give him privacy for this conversation.

Taking the walk slowly, Peter eventually made it to the loft and found himself facing the door. He wanted to shake his head to dispel the memories of his last visit, but he knew it wasn't a good idea so he signed softly instead. Opening the door slowly, he tried to be quiet as he didn't want to give Neal advance warning so that he could retreat.

Once the door was open, Peter saw Neal standing by the French doors onto the terrace staring out at something. He didn't seem to notice his presence so Peter started the quiet walk across the room.

As soon as he was close, Peter quietly spoke in an effort to avoid startling Neal too badly, "Neal?"

Jumping, Neal stiffened and continued to look outside even though his attitude indicated that he had heard him.

"Hey," Peter reached out and rested his hand on Neal's shoulder before tugging lightly to make him turn. Getting a good look at his face, Peter saw the light shadows indicating his fatigue and the way Neal's eyes automatically went to something over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Neal nodded but didn't seem to know what to say.

"No, you're not okay, Neal." Peter stepped forward and slid his arm around Neal's neck so that his hand was resting on his opposing shoulder while he lifted his other hand to the back of Neal's head. There was a gap between them, but at least it was a motion similar to a hug and his mouth was right next to Neal's ear as he leaned forward slightly. "This isn't good enough, but it will have to do." He felt Neal flinch as he spoke but he waited for Neal to speak.

"What isn't good enough?" Neal eventually whispered.

Rubbing his thumb through Neal's hair, Peter gripped him a little more firmly. "This, I can't give you a real hug despite wanting to and knowing you need it because any pressure still hurts. However, it will have to do because this has been put off for too long."

"Why do you think I need a hug?" Neal's voice continued to be soft and distant. His arms were still hanging by his side and his eyes remained focused on some point over his shoulder, but at least he was talking and listening.

"Because, I did something stupid that hurt you, then when we were undercover, I saw the acceptance in your eyes when your silver tongue didn't work on them, and while I was in the coma you asked me a question and told me something of your story. I know you weren't expecting me to hear every word, but I did." Peter heard Neal stop breathing for a moment and he wished all the more that he could squish his brother to him. Maybe then he could help Neal put something of himself back together even it was just to prevent him from breaking any further.

Taking a few moments, Peter tried to fight back the tears. Remembering Neal's pain hurt him and he needed to keep it together. This was about helping Neal, not giving himself a headache to distract him for the purpose of this trip.

Shuddering, Neal was struggling with his own battle. "You… you heard me?"

"Yes, I heard every word. From your question as to why I would take a bullet for you, through your talk about your past rejections and why my act of stupidity hurt so much, your analysis of my life and all the reason I have to live without including yourself in the midst, your pain in general because you don't see your worth, how you hoped I would find a brother I could be proud of even though I already have, and your encouragement to behave for my doctors with the assurance that I would be alright. Trust me, I heard everything and as much as I wanted to, there was nothing I could do about it but listen to your pain." Peter's voice was wavering with emotion despite his efforts and he could feel the stress in Neal as he almost vibrated with nerves.

"Peter, please…" There was a pleading tone in his voice and a stutter to his speech as Neal shifted slightly as if he hoped to be released.

"No, you need to hear this. You asked me why and I'm here to answer that." Peter squeezed his hands tighter to hold Neal in place. "I stepped in between you and a bullet knowing it could kill me despite those other people in my life because you're worth it! Neal, you are worth saving, worth dying for, and worth living for! You mentioned a connection to the government and I don't know what that entails, but I know you. Even though I forget it sometimes, I know you protect those around you, you're always willing to help when you're needed, you're one of the smartest people I've ever met, and you have the biggest heart I've ever seen amongst other things, but when it comes down to it, there is no one else like you. I didn't think about all of that in that moment of absolute idiotic stupidity, but that doesn't decrease your value as a person or how lucky I am to have you as a brother. What I said reflects badly on me and I wish you could see that."

Peter leaned back to look at Neal. His brother's eyes were misty, but he seemed to be stubbornly holding his distant look as he tried to retain some semblance of control. Bringing his hand around to turn Neal's face towards him, Peter spoke to his face. "You deserved to be told why someone would be lucky to have you for a brother, but I didn't say anything. When we got the initial results, I was surprised and immediately jumped to the negative aspects of the worst-case scenarios you've proven yourself to be better than. It didn't hit me what I'd done until after the second results came in and we had our… argument here. You are by far the better brother of the two of us and I'm sorry I didn't see that until it was too late. I can't blame you for not forgiving me, I won't forgive myself."

Having stated a lot of his point, Peter dropped his hand to Neal's shoulder to rest by his other hand then he hung his head. He was ashamed of how he'd originally treated Neal and he'd told his brother to his face as the kid deserved to be acknowledged.

Neal seemed to be at a loss for words as his body shivered with emotions so Peter just stood there trying to provide as much comfort as he could.

After a while, Neal seemed to calm down and regain his distant composure. He'd heard what Peter said but he needed time to absorb it.

Stepping back, Peter moved to hold one hand on each of his shoulders. Looking at Neal, Peter could see that he was still fighting internally.

Sighing, he turned Neal's head to face him again. "You are more than a con, always have been, and always will be and I'd stake my life on that."

Neal shook his head slightly and tried to look away not trusting his words.

Reaching up and getting his attention again, Peter continued. "I staked my career on that when I took your deal, I've staked my life on that every time I trust you to have my back in the field, and I've staked my wife's life on that when I've depended on you to help me keep her safe. When it counts, I've always known you were something more." Holding his brother's eyes, Peter tried to convey how much he meant what he was saying and Neal seemed to be caught between studying him for proof and wanting to turn away for his own safety.

Not thinking about how Neal might take it, Peter leaned forwards and kissed his brother's forehead while holding the back of his head to prevent him from moving away from him. "I wish I hadn't been so stupid as to hurt you, but I can't undo what I did." He spoke into Neal's hair before pulling back.

Ruffling Neal's hair and squeezing his shoulders, Peter knew he was losing his control and that Neal was trying to retreat from him. "I know you need to protect yourself, but please think about it. You are worth it, always have been, and always will be." Then patting Neal on the shoulder, Peter moved back further. He could see that Neal was fighting his emotions and his own eyes were teary.

Moving towards the door, he paused with his hand on the knob and turned back towards his brother. Neal was still standing where he'd left him and hadn't moved as he was more focused in his own head. "I hope you'll consider visiting." Then he opened the door and headed back for the elevator. Texting his wife on the way down, he paused to wait for her on the chair downstairs.

Once she caught up, they slowly made the reverse trip as he talked about his conversation with Neal.

*******

For the first while, Peter spent a lot of time sleeping, watching games, and doing crossword puzzles on the couch.

Elizabeth would help by ensuring he had drinks and snacks handy along with his medication so that most of his basic needs were meant where he sat and he only had to go upstairs for the occasional bathroom visit which doubled as his exercise while he regained strength.

Satchmo kept him company in between visitors and time slowly drifted along.

*******

As time passed, Peter grew stronger.

He relied on Elizabeth less for his drinks, snacks, and medication as he began to walk about and retrieve them for himself more often. When Elizabeth went on walks with Satchmo, he accompanied her more on the short walks and slowly lengthened how long he could remain out with her.

The more he recovered, the fewer doctor appointments he had for follow up treatment and the fewer contacts he had in between them to gauge his recovery.

However, he also began to be grumpier. He was eager to resume life as normal and he was beginning to feel up to it, but he hadn't recovered completely yet so the restrictions on his diet and activities remained.

*******

Eventually, life began to look up again as he cleared his checkups and the doctors cleared him to resume his normal life one activity at a time.

*******

Finally, Peter was cleared to return to the office on desk duty. He wasn't allowed to go into the field as he was still in the final stages of his recovery, but he could at least resume an element of his normal diet and activities even if he had to restrict himself to moderation.

*******

Riding the elevator up, Peter smiled as he stepped out of the car onto the twenty-first floor. It was his second home, a place he hadn't been to in months and he'd missed it. Relishing the smell and sound of the atmosphere as he walked the gap to the glass, he enjoyed seeing the normal activities of the team as he pushed the door open to enter into it himself.

Everyone stopped and there were claps and greetings from all around. The team was enthusiastic in accepting his return, and he took the time to return each greeting so he was enveloped by the majority of the team for several minutes before they'd worked through their welcomes and dispersed back to their activities.

When the team returned to work, Peter heard Neal come in through the doors behind him so he turned his attention towards him. Moving over to lean on the desk as Neal got settled in for the day; Peter didn't push him but encouraged at least a brief conversation.

Talking to his brother, Peter's analysis of the conversation was that Neal wasn't as angry with him anymore, but he was still wary and keeping a distance for his own safety.

*******

Working on desk duty, Peter took advantage of the close proximity to his brother and continued to instigate a conversation of some form each day. It wasn't a drastic change in their relationship, but it was a start that allowed for communication and interaction so he accepted the mellow pattern with hope to improve it further in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, and leaving kudos :D
> 
> Alrighty, in case anyone missed it, I posted 'The Dinosaur Game,' but it's in White Collar since it's from Jones' perspective and has no Bryce references ;)


	10. Surprise

*******

Showing up at June's early one morning, Peter was happy that he could jog up the stairs and didn't have to stop to take a breather just from walking up a few steps. It was a good sign that his health had returned to a relative normal.

Smiling as he knocked on the door to the loft, Peter opened it to let himself in and surprise Neal with a visit, "Hey, Neal."

Looking up from his breakfast, Neal furrowed his brow at him and asked why he was so happy.

"I'm back to being able to jog up the stairs without needing a breather, that's a good start to any day." His eyes bounced to the coffee Neal was sipping as the scent was tantalizing. It had been a long time since he'd drank June's Italian Roast.

"Why don't you pour yourself a cup instead of staring at it?" Neal smirked lightly as he invited Peter to join him at the table. It wasn't the easy friendship they used to have which was still a painful reminder to Peter. However, they'd been making progress and were back to at least showing some signs of friendly interaction.

Knowing he'd been honoring Neal's protective instinct by keeping some distance, Peter wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him by. Moving to help himself, he quietly fixed a cup and then moved to take the seat opposite Neal where he could watch his face but leave him some space to process what he had to say.

With a slightly wary expression, Neal put his fork down having finished his food, and asked what was on his mind. "You were happy to be able to jog up the stairs and seem overly enthusiastic about the coffee, but neither of those is why you're here."

Sitting the cup down after the first pleasurable sip, Peter knew Neal wasn't going to beat around the bush. "We've talked. I know you removed your name from the system and are no longer looking for our family. After my act of stupidity, I'd probably do the same in your position. However, I haven't removed my name considering one of us should be in the system just in case there is someone else."

Paling, Neal moved to fidget with his cup. "There is another match?" His voice returned to that distant and professional tone that Peter had worked so long and hard to move beyond.

Sighing, Peter knew Neal's mind was leaping in negative directions. "I've told you I'm sorry for what I did, I am proud of you for who you are, and I'll never find another brother better than you. You may not believe me, but I will keep telling you that. However, yes, there were two hits. Our parents were matched with my records."

That had Neal's attention, "Our parents?" His head jerked up and his eyes were big as he tried to comprehend what that entailed. "They sealed our files, why would they suddenly be looking for us?"

Shrugging, Peter couldn't answer that question. "I don't know, maybe we can ask them that question later. Right now though, I got the notification this morning, and considering that our connection isn't general knowledge, I figured you would rather we have this conversation in private." Watching Neal, Peter let him take in the information and sat quietly by. Having had a little time to process the impending visit he resumed sipping his coffee and waited for Neal to adjust.

For a little while, Neal stared at his cup and seemed to be absorbing the news that they would learn something of where they came from and perhaps why their files were sealed.

"Do you have an appointment?" Neal's voice remained monotone and distant.

"Yes, I'm going to the agency tonight since we're not working on any major cases right now." Peter knew Neal probably wouldn't want to go with him but, "I wanted to give you the chance to go with me if you wanted to. This is the first chance either of us has had to learn about our parentage."

Looking away, Neal didn't appear interested and he even seemed a little scared.

Reaching out his hand and then lowering it as he drew it back, Peter wanted to offer comfort but didn't know if it would help coming from him, "Hey, you don't have to go if you don't want to. We both know you never want to be in that chair again, but you deserve the chance to choose for yourself." Dropping his gaze to the table as he sat, Peter wasn't as interested in his coffee anymore despite its lingering appeal. Instead, his mind replayed through memories of Neal and the damage he'd done.

"Thanks. No, I don't want to go, but I appreciate the gesture." Neal's voice hadn't changed and Peter didn't look up to see his expression.

Another little while passed as they each sat with their own thoughts. Peter was glad he'd gone over early to provide more time for them to work through the initial reactions. Still, it was drawing closer to time for them to leave in order to be in the office on time.

Needing to pick up, Neal was the first to move as he shifted his dishes to the kitchen and began to clean up.

When he was ready, Peter gave Neal a lift into the office as it was easier since they were both there and heading to the same destination.

*******

At the end of the day, Peter closed up his office and ducked into Hughes'. "I'm off to my appointment. Neal doesn't want to come considering how the last round went so he's working on a stack of cold cases. Jones and Diana will help him if he needs anything." Peter kept tapping the desktop as he spoke showing his nerves.

"Is Elizabeth accompanying you?" Hughes had nodded to his previous statement before tackling his obvious stress.

"She's meeting me there afterward, she has a meeting that coincides." Peter made the conscious effort to still his fingers and pull his hand back from the temptation. It wasn't every day he learned his biological parentage and his emotions over that made him even more uncomfortable.

"Good, are you going to need time off to meet them?" Hughes kept the conversation rolling.

"No, yes, maybe? It will depend on this meeting and what transpires afterward." Peter wasn't sure and fought not to resume fidgeting.

"Let me know if you need anything," Hughes leaned forwards in preparation to go back to work.

Knowing he needed to be leaving in order to make it on time, Peter appreciated the talk as it helped him to slow down and think in a linear fashion. "Will do. Thanks, Hughes." Peter took a deep breath and managed a small smile before he turned to leave.

Heading down through the office, he nodded at Neal and signaled that he'd share the results of the meeting with him later.

Although Neal paled, he nodded his understanding before ducking behind his computer and resuming his work on the cold cases.

Sighing, Peter knew he only had himself to blame. He was the final straw that caused Neal to retreat so deep into himself and, although they'd been making progress, this was threatening to send Neal crawling back into his shell.

At least worrying about his brother kept him distracted for the drive to the agency and they didn't make him wait for his appointment so he didn't have much time to begin worrying when he did arrive.

Taking his seat, Peter greeted the man who was handling his case and listened to his report as he shared about the discovery.

"They only just recently came into our system so we're surprised to find a match so quickly." He passed the folders across the desk for Peter to read over.

Skimming the files, there wasn't much about either of them. Both of his parents had listed their names, general descriptions, and a few other required details, but there wasn't anything extra that provided insight into who they were as people. Maybe they weren't good at expressing themselves?

What surprised him was when another piece of information was shared. "Your parents have reservations set for you tomorrow night so that you can meet. It's at a public restaurant and the details are inside." An envelope was slid across to him. "Whether you choose to go or not is up to you."

Thanking the man, Peter took his copies of the information and walked out into the lobby meeting Elizabeth as she arrived.

"How did it go?" She moved forward to take his arm and walk with him.

"Well, I guess, our parents aren't very descriptive as they filled the forms out with the most basic of details. For instance, my father is listed as a teacher. Nothing about what he teaches or where. My mother is a director, but again, of what?" Peter showed Elizabeth the generalized details.

"What's this?" She pointed at the envelope he had in the back.

Passing it to her, Peter explained while she opened it up and read the details, "Reservations for dinner tomorrow night, to meet them."

Whistling, she was surprised. "That place has a six-month waiting list, they either have a lot of pull, or they gambled on finding you before this reservation," Elizabeth observed with a frown.

Puzzling, Peter wasn't sure why that seemed expected, but somehow he wasn't surprised. "My brother is Neal Caffrey. Why wouldn't our parents be able to pull off the impossible too?"

Amused, Elizabeth was glad to see him taking it so well. "You've adjusted to having Neal as a brother quite well. Hopefully, things will work out smoother with your parents."

"I don't know enough to make much of a judgment about them, but I'm sure that not accusing them of being nothing more than criminals is a really good place to start," Peter commented as they rode the elevator down.

Rubbing his back comfortingly, Elizabeth leaned into him and distracted him with talk about the restaurant and what she imagined to be possible details about his parents.

Grateful for her understanding, Peter added comments and laughed as he tried to imagine his parents being a music teacher and an orchestra director. It was possible, but somehow, he didn't think it fit.

*******

Giving Neal a call, Peter wasn't surprised that it went to voicemail. Neal had developed a habit of listening to his messages after the fact and then texting a response. He'd managed to get him back to answering at times, but the resurgence of the family issues seemed to have caused a regression.

*******

Working through the day, Peter was trying to keep his nerves under control so he passed the time with as many number heavy cases as he could find in between watching Neal from above.

On the floor below, Neal spent the day with his head down as he worked on his pile of cases, but he seemed to be more alert than usual, as if he was expecting what occurred near the end of the day.

It was twenty minutes until they could clock out so Peter was struggling with his attention and chose to watch his brother instead. As he watched, he noticed when Neal's head lifted up and his hands stilled. Obviously, he could hear something, but what wasn't answered until two people walked into view from the elevator as they reached the glass doors to enter the White Collar Unit.

Turning his attention to them, Peter noted that the man was smoothly dressed in a nice blue suit with a pink shirt, his white hair was styled, and he smiled at the woman accompanying him in a charming fashion as he held the door for her. Beside him, a short-statured woman walked in wearing a light gray business suit while her rusty red hair was swept up into a tight twist behind her head.

Entering the office, the woman took the atmosphere in with a no-nonsense and stern resolution before turning her attention to Jones and Diana as they approached the visitors. "My name is Diane and I'm here to meet Peter Burke."

Eavesdropping through his open door, Peter heard the man introduce himself as Roan before stating the same purpose for his presence.

Jones and Diana indicated where his office was and turned to bring them up.

Unable to react at first, Peter stared at this couple. Based on the names, he had the feeling these were his parents. But, why were they visiting the office instead of waiting for the restaurant?

Getting up as they reached the landing, he was standing by his desk by the time they reached his door. He only partially heard Diana's introduction and a quick glance to the office below showed Neal's desk empty. Swallowing, his eyes were big as he tried to come to terms with the situation and his hands shook slightly as he reached out to shake their hands. "You wouldn't happen to be Diane Beckman and Roan Montgomery, would you?"

At their nods, he introduced them to Jones and Diana who were still standing by. "These are my biological parents. We were recently matched in DNA tests through the adoption agency that holds my files."

Surprised, Jones and Diana exchanged glances before congratulating him and excusing themselves to allow him to get to know them.

Waving for them to take the seats in front of his desk, Peter closed the door and returned to his seat. Folding his hands, he was trying to avoid fidgeting. "I can't help but wondering why you chose not to wait for the restaurant tonight?"

Taking charge, his mother answered. Her voice had a soft tone, but the clarity was that of someone used to taking charge. She was a director, and her voice had a ring of command. "This is a surprise visit so that you will hopefully be more comfortable this evening with the initial awkwardness of introduction at least started."

Nodding, Peter could understand the consideration of the move, but it still felt like something was a bit strange. Watching them, he thought about their entrance. They had each taken Neal in through their initial glances but had intentionally moved past his desk onto the general floor. "You know about Neal working here too, don't you?"

Smirking, his father was impressed and responded in a smooth voice. "Which one is he by the way?"

As much as he wanted to introduce his brother to their parents and hopefully soothe some of the feelings of abandonment there, he wasn't going to point him out to strangers with unknown intentions. "Neal removed himself from the system, how did you know about him?"

"We are aware of his existence to look for him while your file still states him as your biological brother. It wasn't difficult to research from there to find that a Neal Caffrey is here working as your consultant." Diane walked him through the basics of the process for how they deduced his brother's presence.

Taking mental notes, Peter had already cataloged that Neal obviously took after their father, but he himself felt a closer affiliation to their mother. She was direct and to the point, something he appreciated. "How do you know Neal?"

Blinking, his mother gauged him determining how to react. "We've crossed paths. What tipped you off?"

Growing more comfortable with the game, Peter was uncertain what was happening, but it was more familiar to discern motives than to meet family so he pursued the mystery. "Neal reacted when he heard your approach and although you made sure you each looked at him, you intentionally asked my agents where my office was. Even if he hadn't reacted in recognition and then left after you were passed him, the way you went out of your way to avoid drawing attention to an interaction between yourselves and him was telling. Anyone who first enters the office always stops at Neal's desk and asks the first person they come across for directions. Why the charades?"

"Your posture is more relaxed and the conversation is flowing. We've all got an initial read on each other and we know that you're protective of him." Diane explained while she loosened up enough to smile a little, but it didn't seem to be something she did very often. Then she continued to explain the reasoning for their behavior. "Neal, we didn't know he was our son until recently, but we've been aware of things about him for years. He didn't know about our connection either, but he called me while you were in the coma and he said enough that we knew things weren't going well between you two. With the DNA proof that you are the sons we gave up for adoption, we have some interest in the situation. By surprising you for a visit in the office we've confirmed to him who we are and we are able to gain a more real conversation with you. In addition, I'm sure dinner in a while is less intimating than it was."

Finding himself amused, Peter was glad their parents were smart. Things were going to be interesting as he had the feeling this wasn't going to be a simple or predictable family. "Well, I've learned where Neal and I get some of our abilities and such, and I'm intrigued to learn more."

"Good, we're looking forward to getting to know you and your brother as well. Although Neal won't be coming to dinner, we expect you to bring your lovely wife." Roan smiled congenially as he stood up.

"Neal, he can probably answer some of his questions himself now that he knows who we are and it's best to give him some time to work through his initial reactions on his own so that he'll be better prepared to talk when we catch up with him later." Moving to stand as well, Diane joined Roan. "Now, we'll leave you to finish your workday and we'll see you along with Elizabeth later this evening."

They insisted on letting themselves out, but Peter couldn't help but watch them leave anyway. It had been a relief to know that he and his brother had points of commonality with their parents, they knew his brother and would take his past into consideration at least as far as they could, and they were trying to be considerate as they introduced themselves. Maybe this wasn't going to be so nerve-wracking after all?

*******

Standing outside of the restaurant later that evening, Peter wrapped his arms around his wife and leaned his chin against the back of her head as they watched his parents enter a taxi further up the street.

"You like them?" He was curious about her opinion. The evening had gone well, but it was going to be an interesting topic as they got to know his parents.

"Yes, I do. I was afraid of your mother when she seemed so serious and acted as she's used to taking command, but she wasn't pushy or controlling at all. It was nice how she encouraged us to try new things while letting us order whatever we wanted and her stories about the various dishes were fascinating. Your father though, well, it's obvious that you didn't inherit many of his traits while Neal did. However, he's such a smooth charmer I think it would be difficult not to like him." She teased before leaning back into him.

Waving, they both responded to Roan's gesture before he climbed into the taxi and closed the door. In a few moments, they merged into traffic and disappeared amidst the many taxis of the city.

Sighing, Peter gave his wife a gentle squeeze before releasing her to accompany him to their vehicle. "I'm glad. Somehow, Neal's known them for years, and we seem to get along with them. As long as the secrets they're keeping don't cause trouble, I think this could really work out for us." Peter clasped Elizabeth's extended hand to walk along through the crowds together.

"Secrets?" She was curious as they strolled towards the parking garage.

"Remember, they're a director and teacher, but they didn't say of what, and they know Neal. I'm not going to jump to a conclusion, but I've still got to wonder why they're being so secretive." Peter rubbed his thumb along the side of her hand.

"Time will tell, I guess. Maybe, maybe it's a good idea to keep possibilities in mind but to give them a chance to explain themselves when they're ready?" She squeezed his fingers comfortingly.

"That's the plan for now. We'll see what they have to say for themselves as we get to know them." Peter agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D


	11. Visitors

*******

It surprised Neal to hear familiar and yet unexpected voices as the elevator doors opened. Listening as they walked across the hallway, he confirmed that he had indeed heard Beckman and Roan approaching White Collar. What were they doing?

Keeping his head down and pretending to work, Neal continued to listen as they entered the office and were confronted by Jones and Diana. Stating their purpose of visiting Peter, Neal was almost certain that the Roan and Diane Peter had reported being their parents were the very same ones standing only a few feet from him.

Relieved to hear the voices move away and up towards his brother's office, Neal came up with an excuse to leave so that he was in the back hallways while the visit occurred. Whatever was transpiring, he didn't want to be present for it.

Taking his time dawdling at the errand, he added in a scenic walk to the supply closet. Thinking as he went, he started going over the information he'd encountered thus far.

First, his parents had Peter and then him. They were fully biological brothers so their parents had been in a relationship long enough to produce at least two children. Roan and Diane had been romantically involved for decades, perhaps longer than had been generally known so they were possible candidates.

Second, both he and Peter had been abandoned. Either their parents didn't want them or, perhaps, they couldn't keep them? Stephen and Mary had gotten married dedicating themselves to their relationship and raising a family which resulted in them having Ellie and Chuck. However, Roan and Diane had never solidified their relationship by marriage as each was more dedicated to working and Roan wasn't the kind to remain with one woman. Could it be that they weren't in a stable relationship able to balance the parenting tasks with their work, was there something about their work that made it unsafe to raise children in those years, or maybe they were struggling with a combination so they put their children up for adoption as infants?

Snorting, Neal suddenly found himself amused at the imagery of either agent trying to handle an infant. Sure, they could manage the basic tasks as they were both smart and capable, but somehow he wasn't having much luck seeing them in such a loving and caring parental fashion. Was it because he'd always seen them as legendary agents, or was it because they weren't children people?

Growing more adjusted to the idea that they could be his parents; Neal continued to think about his past encounters with them.

Stopping in his tracks, he remembered his class with Roan in a new light. When the man kept watching him, was it because he knew he was his father, or was it because he recognized the similarity and wondered? That was something he'd have to ask the man if he got the chance.

Then resuming his walk, he thought about Beckman. If she was his mother there was the awkward fact that she had ordered his death when he was undercover in Operation Sandwall. More recently though, she obviously knew about her connection to Peter when he was in the coma as she said she knew his parents, which explained how she knew them and why she was so eager to help save his life. But, did she know about him in either of those situations, or was he just some agent crossing her path? She knew their connection at least since he'd told her that Peter was his brother. However, he still had no idea what that would mean. There hadn't been any communication with her recently beyond his basic contacts to check-in.

Sighing as he reached the supply closet, Neal knew they were present to meet Peter, but they hadn't asked for him and didn't seem to pay any attention to his presence as they were still standing in the walkway when Jones and Diana approached them. They weren't moving towards his desk and Peter hadn't contacted asking for him to join the meeting. This was a private conversation.

Opening the door to be confronted by shelves of supplies, Neal pretended to look for a particular item. On one side, Neal was glad Peter had this chance to meet their parents and make his own first impression. But on the other, he wondered if he would have been welcomed if he had followed them up and attempted to join in said meeting. After so much rejection in his life, it had become second nature for him to assume the worst. Far too often it had been confirmed in the long run.

Closing the door, he slowly meandered his way back towards his desk. When he reached the office, he was glad to see Peter back to work and the visitors gone. Uncertain of his feelings, he resumed his work for the limited time remaining until the day would be done.

Minutes later, Peter was locking down his office before he ducked into Hughes' office for another side conversation. Since their boss knew of their relationship, Peter often ducked in to update him on anything that had changed or for advice on how to handle their interactions. Would Hughes figure out who their parents were, or would he fall for the civilian ploy they would have employed? They hadn't introduced themselves with title or rank so they were trying to remain low-key for as long as possible.

Peter soon stepped out and made his way down the stairs and across the office before he came to another stop in front of his desk.

"Neal?" There was a tapping of Peter's finger on the empty corner in a specific fashion.

Looking up, Neal tried to keep his face neutral to hide the chaos of emotions going on inside.

"I'm picking you up in the morning. There are a few things we need to talk about." Then he smirked softly as if he was amused, "probably more by then, but definitely a few things to start with." His finger continued to tap and Neal was automatically picking up on the action.

Nodding, Neal tried to duck back to his work, but Peter turned back with more to add.

"Oh, and they didn't specify how, but they know you and will catch up later." Tapping on the desk again, Peter finished his Morse Code to say, 'u not forgoten.' "I mean it, Neal. See you in the morning."

Free to resume his task, Neal used the case as a means to remain at his desk and avoid the risk of another encounter until well after Peter had left. Apparently, he had been a topic of the conversation in his absence, but he'd have to wait to learn what had been said.

*******

Later in the evening, Neal had his easel up and was trying to distract himself from his questions with a character approved past time. Working on the painting, he put his focus into the colors and brush strokes in an effort to prevent his mind from wandering into the painful topic of family.

He had learned a lot about where he came from so it wasn't as painful, but it was still a difficult topic for him.

Hearing the creak on the landing and June's voice directing visitors to his door, he had an advanced warning of their arrival just before her knock echoed through the loft.

Putting his brushes aside and beginning the process of cleaning up, Neal turned to see his expected visitors. Roan and Beckman were standing in less formal versions of their previous attire as Roan had changed his suit while Beckman was wearing a smart dress instead of a business suit.

Smiling at June, he complimented her dress before greeting the agents standing next to her showing his familiarity with who they were. "These are Peter's parents and acquaintances of mine." He ignored Beckman's raised eye-brow and the glance exchanged between her and Roan while bidding June goodnight.

Once his landlady had left giving them privacy to talk, Neal continued to work on cleaning up his supplies while leaving Beckman and Roan to initiate the conversation they'd come to have.

"I assume you have theories and questions?" Beckman opened the conversation while moving towards the table that stood in between them.

"Your work is obviously the reasoning behind your actions. It wouldn't be easy to raise kids while being a spy, let alone two singles ones." He stated the fact to retain his distance from the topic while focusing on the work it took to clean the paint off of the brush in his hand.

"Although Peter didn't tell us, we know you feel absolutely rejected," Roan commented as a reminder that he was present while he too moved forward towards the table.

"He indicated that I was a topic of your conversation." Neal wasn't going to admit to any emotions as it was ingrained in spy training to be emotionless and unattached.

"Your brother figured out that we know each other and had questions." Beckman made the statement and then watched his reaction.

Freezing, Neal hoped Peter hadn't lumped them in with him as criminals, that wouldn't bold well for him opening up to the agents and getting to know them. "Did he try and discern your criminal associations?"

"No, is there a reason he would have?" Roan asked as he turned from watching Neal's initial reaction to retrieving glasses and a bottle from the rack.

Shrugging, Neal tried to downplay Peter's erroneous assumption. "He knows me as a criminal first and seeks the criminal connections in any of my associates. Being the agent who arrested me and who is responsible for my work release, he tries to keep an eye on anything that might get me into trouble." Painting Peter as the diligent agent wasn't a bad perspective and it was fitting considering his situation.

"Are you referring to your conversation with Peter where he said you were a criminal and nothing more?" Beckman verbally poked him while Roan passed her the first glass.

Flinching, Neal didn't know how they knew, but the spies had obviously done their reconnaissance work. He didn't answer the question and instead tried to keep his focus on cleaning the brush in an effort to retain his stoic façade.

"Come, we need to talk," Beckman ordered while Roan finished setting a glass down for him and getting comfortable with his own drink.

Having finished his brushes, Neal was hesitant to obey the command, but he ultimately decided to go along with it. He was part curious, part afraid, and part simply trained to obey commands, particularly those uttered in such a tone that didn't indicate the tolerance of disobedience.

Passing Beckman Neal's laptop, Roan was taking an assistant approach to the conversation while allowing Beckman to lead.

Neal sipped his drink and used it for a distraction while watching in his peripheral as Beckman hacked into his computer and linked into a system he didn't recognize.

"I created this program years ago for our private purposes. Your father and I have always used it to keep an eye on you boys to the best of our abilities." Beckman explained why it was unfamiliar.

Intrigued, Neal shifted to holding the glass on the table so that he could focus on the contents of what she was showing him.

Linking it up to the television in the Burke's living room, Beckman let Neal see and hear what was transpiring as Peter and Elizabeth arrived home.

'Are you going to tell Neal in the morning? I mean, you spent most of your first meeting with your mutual parents talking about him.' Elizabeth was asking Peter.

There was some noise as Satchmo moved to greet them at the door for pets and attention. 'Yes, I already told him that I'm picking him up in the morning so that we can talk and tapped on his desk in Morse Code that he wasn't forgotten.'

'You said that, but I meant if you were going to tell him that you were protecting him from these strangers who showed an interest in meeting him before you knew how they knew of him. He should know that as it's another way to show how you don't see him as just a criminal, but as the little brother you always wanted and are protective of.' Elizabeth seemed to be doing something with Satchmo while Peter sighed and moved into a seat visible from the television camera.

'Oh, believe me, I've been trying to slowly work on him, but he doesn't trust me and I can't blame him.' Leaning forward tiredly to put his face in his hands, Peter was allowing an emotional side he didn't tend to share with anyone other than Elizabeth, a side Neal had seen glimpses of since Peter had taken the bullet for him. 'For the first time in my life, I found blood family, only to totally blow it. I still can't believe I was such an idiot and made what may be the biggest mistake of my life in a thoughtless moment. Tonight was supposed to be about meeting our parents, but everything has had Neal in it. Neal was the focus of our conversation at the office, his shadow hovered over dinner because he wasn't actually there, and even on the drive home we went from talking through our first impressions about them to discussing Neal. As much as I want to know them, Neal is more important to me than our biological parents.'

Sitting on the side of the chair, Elizabeth leaned in to hug Peter and kissed his head while Satchmo rested his chin on Peter's knee. 'He isn't completely shutting you out anymore so at least you can resume something of your friendly relations from before, but I can't say whether he'll ultimately forgive you or not.'

'Neither can I, and that's what terrifies me.' Peter leaned into Elizabeth and Neal was uncertain, but he thought he saw something wet reflecting the light off of Peter's cheek.

"It's been easy to keep an eye on Peter. His parents live in the same house they did when they adopted him so we've been able to find ways to monitor him growing up. We've known the basics of his life all along whether it was Little League, his school play, graduation, and so on. Now we keep an eye on his home, his work, and his FBI file so that we know the basics of what's going on." Beckman snapped his attention back to the loft, but he kept his eyes on the Burkes. "This is partially for our personal knowledge, to know where our son is and what's become of him, just because we couldn't raise him ourselves doesn't mean we aren't interested, and partially for professional reasons to ensure our enemies never find him."

He hadn't been mentioned once in that speech so Neal kept his focus on his brother and couldn't look at his parents.

"You, on the other hand, haven't been as easy to keep tabs on." Beckman had him turning towards her curiously. They had monitored him too?

"We knew everything about you growing up, for the first three years anyway. It was easiest of all to keep tabs on you as we were both stationed in Washington back then and you were nearby. My favorite part was when we could visit the neighborhood park and watch the Bennetts play with you on the playground. Your favorite was the little slide so your father stood at the top and let you go while your mother caught you giggling at the bottom. It was better than through cameras or recordings, we got to watch and hear you live." Beckman got a little smile on her face and her eyes took on a distant quality.

Glancing over at Roan, Neal was surprised to see a similar expression on his face before they joined hands enjoying the memory.

"Do you remember that time we visited the precinct and Neal got away from James? Every officer in the building was looking for the tike and it wasn't until he was discovered in an office wearing the Chief's hat that things settled down. It was the longest time I've ever spent trying to get information out of a clerk." Roan looked proud of the fond memory.

Giving them a few moments, Neal sat back to absorb what he was understanding from the conversation. First, Peter really did mean that he was sorry for what he'd said and the overtures he'd been making to repair the damage were just the surface of what he felt. Second, it meant that his parents hadn't abandoned him; they had been watching him and they clearly had their favorite memories from his childhood. Not allowing himself to relax too much, Neal was glad to have hope, but he was afraid to let his defenses go for fear of things changing.

A hand touched his and made him jolt back to attention. Looking up, Roan and Beckman were watching him as he processed the situation.

"You lost track of me when I went into Wit-Sec." It was a statement, not a question. They'd already said they'd easily monitored him until he was three.

"Yes," Roan answered. "The last time I saw you, you were having dinner with your mother. You were begging for an ice cream cone and she didn't seem to have the money so I dropped a bill on the table large enough to cover the costs. She was nervous and had you thank me, but she ordered the ice cream cone, and you were focused on it when I left. I was being sent to Langley to train my first class and wasn't going to be in the city anymore so I made sure to see you first as I wasn't going to be around anymore."

Nodding, Beckman shared her story. "I watched you in the park on your regular visit knowing I had a long-term assignment overseas coming up. It was several months before I got back and by then there was nothing left to indicate where you were or what had happened to you in the system. What little I could get access to without raising any flags wasn't enough. Roan and I had to officially give you up then. Although you crossed our paths in various ways after you entered the agency, we didn't know you were our son until you called me about Peter."

"Not even when we were matched in the adoption agency?" Neal wondered how they had missed that.

"Neal Caffrey is an alias from your loan assignment so I wasn't paying much attention to it beyond your check-ins. You were an agent, a good one, but still, just an agent. As for Peter, we knew he'd entered his information but as we weren't in the database and the odds were against you being there so we didn't monitor those records. There wasn't any reason to as there was nothing to find, or so we thought." Beckman explained.

"Why didn't you say anything when I called, or since for that matter?" Neal questioned before he could stop himself. With it out, he waited for their responses.

Turning his attention back to the laptop, Beckman shifted it her way removing the view of the now empty seat where Peter had previously occupied and replaced it with a different area of the program. Angling it back for Neal to see, she started walking him through the things she had been able to compile since their conversation. "It's not safe to put everything, but at least some of this can be filled in since we now know who you became."

Agreeing with her, Neal was surprised to see his records from growing up as Danny added into the previous contents of him as Neal Bennett while there were allusions to him through references to Bryce Larkin with a focus on Neal Caffrey. His parents had verified and backfilled his identity building his file up to be closer to the size of Peters.

All too soon, it was getting late and Roan called it a night first by saying Neal needed to get a decent night's sleep as Peter was going to be along to talk to him in the morning.

Remembering the impending visit with his brother, Neal wondered what Peter had in mind. He knew more than his brother did in many respects, but he still wanted to know what would be said.

Standing up and moving around to pat him on the shoulder, Roan reminded him that he had been lost, but never forgotten. Then he clasped his shoulder in a fatherly manner before heading for the door.

Beckman stood with a lingering glance at him as if mentally tallying up the changes from her little son to the man he had become. Then with her usual abrupt behavior, she told him goodnight and left with Roan.

Neal wasn't surprised to see her personal program logged out on his computer, but he was glad to know it existed and that she had shared some of the content. He'd seen Peter in his private time and there was the promise of more specific recordings during their stay. It appeared that his entire family was determined to ensure he felt welcomed and loved.

Maybe, maybe if they tried hard enough they could help him overcome his defenses. He had always wanted a family, to be loved, but things had never worked out before so he didn't know if he could let his guard down enough to let them in all the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, choosing to favorite, following, leaving kudos, and commenting/reviewing :D


	12. Learning

******* 

Going to pick Neal up in the morning, Peter was surprised to notice Neal watching him closely as he entered the loft. Had their parents told Neal something about him or was Neal just looking for similarities to see what traits Peter reflected from which parent? "Have Diane and Roan had a chance to talk with you yet?" 

"They were here last night after their dinner with you and Elizabeth." Neal gave the basic answer while pouring himself some more coffee and setting up a cup for Peter. 

Mentally sighing, Peter knew Neal wasn't going to make it easy for him so he took his seat and went to work pulling the details out of his brother. "Did you have a nice chat?" 

"It was certainly enlightening." Then Neal had a mysterious smirk followed by a smile. 

Intrigued, Peter could tell something special had happened, but he had no idea what. "It must have been something, that's the first time I've seen you smile a real smile since I don't know when. Sometime before…." Peter sat watching Neal as he almost seemed to be feeling better than he had in some time, particularly, since they'd learned about their bond. Leaning back, Peter wished once again that he hadn't hurt his brother and that he could be something of the reason his brother was smiling. His eyes fell to the table as the old pain reared up yet again. If his brother felt a mirror of the misery he felt for having hurt him, then he was all the more sorry for his actions. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Neal's question caught his attention so Peter looked up at his brother. Apparently, Neal had picked up on something of his emotions as the man was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern. 

"Depends on what you're referring to. Am I physically okay? Yes, there's nothing wrong from an old injury acting up to catching a bug. However, is everything alright? No, and I wish I knew what to do about the biggest issue I've ever faced, but as I caused it, I don't know if there is anything I can do." Peter forced himself to look Neal in the eyes. "I made a mistake and spoke without thinking, not even realizing that I was speaking at all. If you know of a way to overwrite those words, I'd love to hear it." 

Holding his glance, Neal seemed to have made a little progress as he seemed to be listening for the first time since the incident. "I don't know. Some words are easily written over, and some are seemingly impossible. It depends on what you wrote them in and what you chose to write over them with." 

Okay, if Neal wanted to treat this literally then he could play the same game. "Well, hypothetically, what if I wrote it in permanent marker. Something dark and lasting, but it's not what I want to say. I've actually thought about the situation since then and I have a totally different conclusion, how could I overwrite permanent marker?" 

Leaning back, Neal continued their conversation. "Permanent marker isn't easy to remove or write over, but there are methods to remove it from certain materials. Most of them are pretty harsh using stronger chemicals like bleach and alcohol-based acetones, but some products need softer care such as milk. The next challenge is that milk isn't strong enough alone, it has to be mixed with vinegar, borax, and lemon juice in the right amounts. Even then, the stain might not be completely lifted, but it might be cleaned enough to fade into the past. On paper, you might be able to cover the marker with enough white-out. The old words are hidden by new words, but there is still a mark scarring the paper as white-out doesn't remove the word, it just covers them up." 

"So, it is potentially possible to repair the damage, even on something more delicate?" Peter sat up straighter and looked at Neal with big eyes. This was the first time Neal had given him any indication that he heard, understood his regret, and was possibly willing to forgive him in the long run. 

"The stain may be pretty well set so it isn't going to be easy to erase, maybe impossible to completely remove, but the right mixture could lighten it and give the material a clean appearance until the mark is lost in time." Neal didn't seem certain it was possible to remove the stain, but he gave him hope that it could be repaired enough to erase the initial appearance of it. 

Determined, Peter was going to keep working at it. Regaining something of his brother's trust and friendship was worth whatever battles it took to overcome his defenses. "Then I guess I'd better keep working at it. I want to repair that stain entirely if I can." 

Lifting his coffee cup, Neal wished him luck. "I really do hope you succeed." 

Distracted from his original intent, Peter realized later that he never did tell Neal what he'd intended to. 

******* 

In an effort to get to know his parents, Peter invited them over the next evening for dinner at his home. It was more private and he'd hoped Neal would be willing to come along, but as he rejected the invitation, Peter was forced to continue the separate visits. 

When the time came for them to arrive, Peter welcomed his parents into his home and was pleased to see them make themselves at home by insisting on following him to the kitchen where Elizabeth was putting the final touches on the meal and he'd been setting the table in between assisting her. 

"I'm not one for the kitchen, Roan is better at cooking than I am. If you'll show me what you want, I'll help you set the table." Diane volunteered to assist while Roan began complimenting Elizabeth on the meal and discussing the details of her cooking. 

Unsure for a moment, Peter decided to have his mother help with the table as it would open the door to their visits being more casual and comfortable rather than stiff and formal. Passing her some silverware, he followed behind her putting his pieces in their places. 

Making quick work of the remaining steps, they were soon sitting down to eat and dishing out the meal. 

Opening conversation, Peter asked how his parents had met. It was a basic information piece, but it would also reveal something of their past and relationship. 

Smiling at Diane, Roan began telling the story while the rest ate their meals. "I was working in Washington when a spunky red head and I ran into each other in a government building. She ended up wearing the coffee she was carrying and I encountered a woman who wasn't going to be charmed. It didn't matter how kindly I offered to assist her, she wasn't having any of it and determinedly went on her way. Perhaps our encounter would have passed and been forgotten, but we nearly had a similar run in a week later. This time I was able to predict the possible encounter and evade it while still meeting her. Another attempt at flirting failed and she was on her way again. I had been challenged so I rose to the occasion and was determined in my own way to reverse her original opinion. Eventually, I succeeded." 

Reminiscing, Diane paused in her eating to add to the story while Roan slowly ate. "I was new to my work and trying to make my mark on the industry, not something that is easy to do. Then nearing a corner, I encountered Roan here coming from the other direction as he'd rounded the corner too tightly as he tried to calmly hurry somewhere. We collided and my coffee went all down my dress. It was new and I had a meeting to attend so I didn't appreciate his efforts at all. Refusing his assistance, I hurried on my way in an effort to handle the mess and still meet my appointment. Although it was close, I succeeded, but I didn't want to entangle myself. The next week we nearly had a similar collision but he was more careful in his approach so that our paths didn't cross directly. After refusing his advances again, I suddenly found myself encountering him everywhere in the city. He'd have flowers and a smart suit or some other romantic approach until I couldn't resist him anymore." 

Elizabeth had romantic stars in her eyes and asked why Diane and Roan hadn't married. "You two are obviously close and have a long-standing relationship, what kept you from becoming official?" 

"Our work, we were both moving around a lot and keeping busy so that we didn't have time to see each other much more than the occasional rendezvous. We did talk about the possibility when I learned that I was pregnant with you, but we couldn't really see ourselves as being grounded with a home so we opted not to. Neither of us has ever really been the settle down type so we placed you for adoption after you were born so that you could have parents who would be able to give you what you needed. Based on you now, the Burkes did a very good job of raising you and provided everything we couldn't." Diane answered with an approving smile at him. 

"Why did you seal the files? Did you not want us to know who you are, and if not, then why connect to us now?" Peter wondered. He hated the feeling he had just after asking, like he'd ruined a perfectly good family moment, but they were questions he needed answered. 

Lowering their forks, both of his parents seemed uncertain how to answer that. 

"That's a challenging question to answer, I mean, there are things that you don't know about us yet." Roan hedged. 

"But Neal does? He seems almost content knowing you are our parents. I know you have a history with him which helps to close that gap more easily, but are you going to share anything of it with me?" Peter asked while Elizabeth reached over and rubbed his arm before taking his hand to provide comfort. 

Getting a resolute expression, Diane looked him in the eyes. "Your father and I work for the government. We weren't just visitors passing through that building when we met, we were employees going about our days. There are things in our past that could bring danger to you boys if anyone made that connection and as children, you were too vulnerable to risk. However, now that you are adults, you're both capable to handle things to a point, but we still can't be completely open and tell you everything. With his history, Neal has been connected to our government work so he knows some elements of what I mean first hand." 

Relived, Peter was glad to know their connection came from Neal's involvement with the government rather than his criminal activities. "So that's also why you're only here for a brief visit to meet and greet. You don't want to draw too much attention to our existence. Why did you decide to come looking for us now, I've been an agent for years and Neal sounds like his connections to the government have been around for a while? The associate at the adoption agency said your files had been submitted to their system rather recently but yet you had the reservation for the restaurant set for the night after I was given the records. How could you be so confident?" 

Just after asking, Peter felt his eyes get big. His parents worked for the government. "Did you know we were your sons all along?" 

Smirking, Diane looked at him proudly while Roan raised his glass to him. His parents had been monitoring him his whole life? 

"We had to keep a distance, but yes, we've known about you and where you were your whole life. The DNA match was to give you proof while creating an opening. Neal is aware of this as well." Diane informed him calmly. 

Leaning back, Peter wasn't sure if he was more shocked that they'd spied on him his whole life or pleased that they'd cared enough to protect him despite their inability to completely let go. At least he now understood Neal's reaction; his brother hadn't been abandoned by their parents which opened the door for him to maybe accept his brother's apologies. 

It took a few minutes, but Peter frowned when the thought crossed his mind. "My home isn't bugged, is it? You said you've kept an eye on me my whole life and Neal was watching me funny when we talked." 

Elizabeth looked around their home with a slightly uncomfortable expression probably wondering what his parents might have witnessed. 

"Your television, it has a direct link just like Neal's does." Diane apparently chose to be honest revealing that there was a link, but his privacy wasn't entirely invaded. 

Frowning deeper, Peter wasn't thrilled to learn how his parents had kept an eye on him. "Do you record everything all the time or just randomly check in on us?" 

"Neal's is recorded at all times. Due to his past, he is monitored constantly with multiple agencies viewing the recordings and he is aware of that. However, yours is only linked to a private system I created to keep tabs on you for your father's and my personal information. It isn't steadily reviewed, but it does constantly record to be safe." Diane wasn't remiss in her actions and blunt in stating what she'd done. 

"Have you shown Neal any of the recordings of me and Elizabeth?" Peter was still rather uncertain what he thought about being spied on by his parents, he was certain they wouldn't stop, but was hopeful that maybe there would be a perk to the intrusion. 

"Yes, we linked into your television last night when we were visiting him. He saw you genuinely open up and express what you think of him in a way you've struggled to do with him in person as you're reluctant to be quite that open with him." Diane paused for a moment. "That was when he started towards relaxing, but it took a while for it to catch up with him. At first, he wasn't certain, but the more he watched you sit in that chair showing your emotions, the more he calmed down. You've been trying to show him how you feel without fully showing those emotions. Be genuine with him, that is what he always appreciated about Chuck and it's your honesty that originally appealed." 

Feeling a little uncomfortable at first, Peter didn't like to let others in that close. He only cried alone or with Elizabeth. But, Neal had seen and was comforted? Based on what Diane was saying, Peter suspected that Neal had heard what he said, but hadn't trusted him enough to let him close. However, having seen that he was also hurting for his actions, Neal had been more willing to reach out in return to help him. 

"You said that Neal's loft is always recorded?" A plan was coming to mind. If Neal needed to know how genuinely he regretted what he'd done, then he should have seen him just after their argument. "Can you show him the loft just after I confronted him for having forged the results for the second test?" That was about as genuinely raw as it could get. 

"I can." Smiling softly, Diane seemed glad to see him working to reconcile with his brother. "We've been catching up with his information ever since that call while you were in the coma. His past hasn't been so straight forward, so we'd lost track of him a long time ago. By linking up to the recordings and back viewing them, I know what you want him to see, and that is exactly what he needs." 

"When it comes down to it, your brother is a lot easier to understand than you think. He may be more flexible in his estimation of what it means to do what's right, but he's willing to die to do the right thing as he's very protective whether it's of people themselves or something that could make a difference for good. Although he doesn't express all of his interests and passions, your brother is creative and playful and open with those he trusts. He may be struggling right now, but he trusts your honesty just as he does Chuck's genuineness." Roan contributed to the conversation with his own advice and encouragement. 

Continuing to discuss Neal and how to work on rectifying his relationship with him, Peter digressed from the goal to get to know his parents to learn more about his brother. 

******* 

Picking Neal up for work the next morning, Peter was glad to have resumed that portion of their former routine. Having their parents visit meant private conversations either over coffee or on the drive into the office. 

Seeing Neal turn to look at him off and on through the drive, Peter threw his brother a sad smile knowing he was seeking confirmation of whatever recordings their parents had shown him the night before. "Who knew it'd come in handy having government parents who spy on us? I'm assuming they showed you some more recordings?" 

"You know?" Neal seemed surprised as he clearly knew what Peter was referencing. 

"Not everything, but it did come up that they're government and my television is bugged so they'd shown you Elizabeth and me after our dinner with them." Focusing on traffic as they moved from one light to the next, Peter watched the road as he continued to talk. It made it easier to not watch Neal's reaction. "You know I'm horrible with emotions. A crying woman or child and I have no idea what to do. It's the same with my own emotions; I'm not comfortable with showing the full depth of how I feel. That's why I've always threatened to throw you back in jail when you seem like you're going to do something stupid or complain about the amount of paperwork there would be if you got hurt. I don't want you to go to jail so it's a threat, and I don't want to see you hurt so I want you to think two or three times before acting. However, learning that they recorded some of the moments in regards to what transpired, it's the easiest way to show you how much I've regretted my actions since learning what I'd done since there's no other way to take you back in time to when you weren't there to see." 

Neal seemed to sit back quietly and absorb what he'd said until they reached the office. 

Parking the car, Peter reached out to Neal as they walked towards the elevator for the garage they were in. Patting him on the shoulder, he showed one of few physical touches since everything had transpired, but as Neal was slowly learning the whole picture and allowing him to, he risked the physical reinforcement of the comfort he wanted to provide. 

Neal turned to throw him a small smile. He didn't trust him yet, but he was regaining ground after so long trying. 

Peter counted it as a win. 

******* 

Making use of his parents' visit, Peter continued to spend his evenings getting to know them. 

Slowly, he learned that his father was a classic gentleman with some comparisons to James Bond, at least in his smooth moves and drinking habits. Roan was clearly where Neal got his tastes in dress, artistic eye, and people skills. The man was generally easy-going and content to allow Diane to lead the conversations and make the decisions. 

However, his mother preferred strategy and was adept with computers and machinery. She liked her numbers and order. Based on her behavior, she had a position of rank in the government and she was used to taking command but she was content to allow Roan to interact with people if a smoother touch was needed. Diane, she was where Peter got his love of numbers and his instinctual ability to figure out cases. 

It continued to intrigue him as he learned about these strangers while trying to see which parts of them were reflected in him and his brother. Then he also enjoyed watching the changes in his brother as their parents visited him in the evening after their conversations with Peter and Elizabeth. Whatever recordings they were showing, they were slowly reducing Neal's walls which made it easier for Peter to talk to him when they were together at work in the day. 

All in all, it was slow going but worthwhile progress and Peter was content to pursue it as long as he could until he'd repaired the damaged relationship with his brother and had created a new foundation with their biological parents. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D


	13. Repercussions

*******

The week was drawing to a close and Peter started to feel a gut-wrenching instinct that things were about to go wrong. He didn't have any indication of why or where the feeling was coming from, but he could sense it all the same.

Running through the things that were going on, he considered his parents' visit, his efforts to repair his relationship with his brother, and then his caseload.

Most of his current cases were standard mortgage frauds with only one exception, and it seemed simple, so it was the most likely to be the cause for his concern. It wasn't a normal case. They were pursuing a suspect who liked to steal paintings and then he would leave little notes at the scene of the crime. On the surface, they were arrogant and confident which meant they were likely to slip up. But, beneath the surface, they could have something up their sleeve. Was there a backer that was going to pop up to bite them?

"What's on your mind?" Jones asked as Peter stood stirring his coffee and staring out over the room in general.

Shrugging, Peter couldn't peg exactly what was on his mind. "I haven't been able to define it yet to say."

"That gut instinct of yours kicking in?" Jones was working on his own cup of coffee while carrying the conversation.

"Yes, but what's wrong isn't something I've figured out yet. This is one of those annoying times where my instincts seem to be picking up on something, but the rest of me isn't putting the pieces together." Peter stopped stirring his coffee and set the cup down on the counter before turning to lean against it. "What scares me the most is that the potential targets have expanded. Since I recently found them, my biological family could be at risk in addition to my adopted family and Elizabeth. The numbers of my immediate connections have doubled."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be easy for an enemy to find your biological parents as there are hardly any records to connect you while you've only known about them yourself for a week. They'll probably be safe even if someone does go after you, and we'll all be here to back you up should any of your family be targeted. Whatever has your gut tingling, it's going to be alright." Jones reassured before patting him on the shoulder and heading back to his desk.

Hoping he was right, Peter sighed, picked up his own cup, and headed back to his office as he also had a pile of paperwork to process.

*******

One of his worst nightmares came true.

Peter woke up in the middle of the night to his cell phone buzzing on the nightstand. Reaching out to grab it, he shifted to a better position for retrieving it until his fingers caught the device. Then rubbing his eyes to wake them up, he checked the caller ID and didn't recognize the number. His gut clenched as he opened the phone, set it to record the call, and answered.

Just as he feared, the voice was going through a changer so he didn't know if they were male or female let alone any other identity markers. Listening as they gave their demands, he realized that they had grabbed Neal, Roan, and Diane while they were having one of their evening visits.

When the conversation was finished, Peter didn't have to wake Elizabeth as she had already heard his raised voice. There was no way he could keep quiet enough for her to sleep while someone threatened his entire biological family.

"What are you going to do?" She asked as she hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek in an effort to provide some comfort.

"Call the office, then Mozzie. We'll need all hands on deck for this one and I could use Mozzie's connections into the criminal underground. The more we have on our side the better the odds are for them surviving this. It's against regulations for the Bureau to give in to demands, and if we don't, they're threatening to kill them all." His voice cracked as he stated the last part, but he couldn't help it. He was too worried to care.

Giving him a squeeze, Elizabeth told him to call the office and get the team going so that they could bring their family home. "You only just found them, and we aren't going to lose them. I like your family and I want the chance to get to know them better." With another kiss, she moved off from her side of the bed and began getting ready for their early morning start to the day.

Taking a deep breath, Peter tried to get his initial nerves under control. Then he started the phone calls. He had people to notify and an investigation to begin.

*******

Working together, the team quickly built up a chain of events.

Roan and Diane had gone to the mansion to visit with Neal as had been their routine all week. The explanation for why they were visiting brought out their shared history and biological connection with Neal which also revealed Neal's connection to Peter.

Later, when the evening was done, Neal had uncharacteristically accompanied them out which placed them together for when the black van pulled up and the men had jumped out. A traffic camera caught the edge of what transpired but the number of guns involved meant there hadn't been a safe way for them to evade capture. Then the van was lost in transit so agents were combing for any means of picking up the trail again.

After they watched the footage, Peter wasn't comforted by the comments many of the agents made as they only confirmed that his family was in danger despite their government connections.

Pacing nervously around the office, Peter wasn't allowed to lead the case as he was emotionally compromised by the situation so he instead chose to remain close while being out of the way.

*******

The team was diligently working to find any lead, but none of their active cases seemed to qualify and the one he'd suspected didn't have enough information yet to prove it one way or the other. Peter didn't have any enemies who were recently released from jail and there hadn't been any threats to indicate intent from someone new. With nothing else to do, they cast a wide net out with some attention to his current theft case suspects hoping to come up with results.

*******

While the team was working, a new face entered the office followed by three others. The leader was tall, had short brown hair, and he didn't seem interesting on the surface, except Peter could sense that there was something about him. His suit was fairly standard for a company man and his demeanor was serious which blended in with the concern of the office so Peter couldn't place why this person had caught his attention.

Behind him, the man's entourage composed of a blonde woman who remained at his elbow while looking about with keen observation, on his other side a small man stood with the hint of a smile on his face as he looked about with interest, while behind them a larger man grunted with contempt. They appeared to be business associates as their attire wasn't typical for government agents, but their calm attitudes in the middle of the chaos didn't seem fitting for business moguls either.

Then Peter made the connection. His parents, they were government and had connections to Neal's government history. These people must be here due to their disappearance.

Moving forwards, Peter introduced himself and asked for their names. "I'm sure you're here because of the abduction of my family. You aren't FBI or in business, but your suits are all professional and you seem rather accustomed to the chaos of an abduction investigation. However, I don't know how you fit into the equation beyond that. Neither my brother nor my parents have detailed their involvement with the government." Peter was upfront and forward with them. Although he wanted answers, that wasn't the point until after his family had been recovered safely.

The larger man in the back gave a different grunt, perhaps indicating that he was slightly impressed? While the man and woman on the sides each raised their eyebrows in surprise. However, the lead man didn't seem fazed and merely put his hand out to shake.

"Hello, agent Burke, I'm Charles Carmichael, but you can call me Chuck, and this is my team." He indicated them as he pointed out his wife Sara Carmichael and their associates Michael Carmichael and John Casey.

"Glad to meet you. You wouldn't happen to be Chuckles, a man who became a legendary agent by chance, would you?" Peter generally addressed them before focusing on Chuck. This had to be the person Neal had referenced when he was in the hospital.

Smiling slightly, Chuck nodded. "I see my reputation precedes me. Our mutual friend told you about me? My sister told me about you."

"I owe Ellie and Devon my life. Although we didn't confirm anything we discussed, we did have an alleged conversation about you and our mutual friend. However, most of what I heard about the two of you and how you know each other comes from what he said while I was in the coma." Breathing deeper for a moment, he worked to retain control of his emotions as Neal's words would always be painful memories. "When they're safe, there is something I want to ask you." Peter had a lot he wanted to talk about with Chuck, but there were more important things to worry about.

The man's smile fell and his eyes took on a softer quality. "Don't worry agent Burke, I forgave your brother. I just never got the chance to tell him after I had." Waving the questioning looks from his team aside, the man directed their attention towards Peter. "But, you're right. We need to get them home safely and then the rest can be worked out later. Let's get to work. As you said, we're to help as representatives of… other branches of the government. My team and I might be private contractors, but we have a heavy background in government work."

"Speak for yourself." The big man in the rear pulled out a badge and stepped forwards. "Colonel John Casey. I'm the official representative sent with the team."

"Washington said we were expecting a team. I assume you are the representatives being sent to handle the interagency cooperation?" Hughes approached the group and made the official introductions.

Left behind, Peter could only watch as the group moved away to disappear into the conference room. Shaking his head as he resumed pacing, he could only hope that Chuck knowing his family's secrets would be able to help get them home sooner and safer.

*******

Kept at a distance, Peter could only watch as people entered and exited the conference room. He was sure the agents would do their best to protect his family, but he would feel better about the situation if he knew what was transpiring behind the closed door.

"They're going to be fine. You know they're all connected to the government somehow, and that comes with training. I know your family will be able to hold out until the teams can reach them. We just need you to believe in them." Elizabeth ran her hand up and down Peter's arm trying to comfort and relax him, but it only did so much to alleviate the tension.

Pausing, Peter turned toward his wife and tried to breathe deeper to calm his nerves. He knew she was right, but that didn't stop him from worrying all the same. "They're still in danger, and until they get back safely I can't help but worry. For one, I don't know what their connection to government is. Are they desk workers, or do they have field training?"

"Does Neal manage without FBI field training? Have you seen him need a gun? I think he has more skills than he lets on. Your parents haven't shown what they're hiding, who knows what they can do?" Elizabeth caught his hand and prevented him from turning away from her to pace anymore.

Sighing, Peter really wanted to sit at a desk and hold her, but his nerves kept buzzing so he felt the need to keep moving and work off of the energy.

Pulling him in, Elizabeth pushed him into a chair and then sat on his lap to hold him down. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she laid her head on his shoulder. "Breathe. Neal's friend is working on this with your team. They'll be alright."

Burying his face into her shoulder as an attempt to hide, Peter breathed her scent in and tried to follow her advice.

A noise disturbed his efforts so Peter looked up to see Chuck entering the office with a serious expression. Calling out to the man, Peter needed the reassurance that nothing was wrong. "Chuck?"

Pausing in his march across the office, Chucked waved. "They're alright, but this is going to be tricky. It's a good thing they're… well, who they are. I know you're worried and telling you not to isn't going to help, but they're good at handling things like this. I've worked with all three of them. Trust me, agent Burke." Then he continued up to the conference room where he disappeared again.

Wrapping his arms around Elizabeth, Peter pulled her in closer and held onto her as his anchor in the storm.

*******

When Peter was finally allowed into the conference room, it was to explain his part in the takedown.

The CIA and NSA were going to pretend to do an exchange where the enemy got to see Peter before they would hand his family over. However, the agencies had a lot of plans up their sleeves to ensure that he and his family would remain safe. None of the agencies wanted their people endangered.

After they finished getting things together, Peter kissed his wife and hugged her close before walking away with the other agents. They had an operation to finish.

*******

Standing on the scene, Peter was back to fretting. He knew everyone was doing their part, but he only knew the general elements of the plan. What secrets did the CIA and NSA have? How were they ensuring the safety of his family? It took everything he had in him to plant his feet and avoid pacing.

Observing the activity of the agencies, Peter watched as some monitored the perimeter waiting for the enemy to arrive, others were going about their duties setting things up for their arrival while speaking through radios, and he couldn't see any of Chuck's team, at least not in his line of sight.

Suddenly, everyone shifted their activities in an indication that the enemy had entered the perimeter.

Swallowing, Peter was glad to feel Hughes come up behind him.

"This will all be over shortly, and then you can take your family home. They'll be alright, Peter. I know you've heard this repeatedly, but it's true." His boss clapped him on the shoulder comfortingly before taking his place next to him.

Holding position, they waited while an armored black SUV pulled up in front of them.

There weren't many people inside. His parents and brother, of course, the driver, and two armed guards who moved into position to either side of the hostages. The hostages were each blindfolded and bound so they were reliant upon their captors to avoid tripping or stumbling as they moved out into the open. Then standing with the gunmen focused on Diane and Roan, Neal stood sandwiched in the middle.

"Are you all okay?" Peter asked them. It was expected for him to be worried so he easily played the part.

Three nods greeted him, but no one said a word.

Fearing why they didn't respond, Peter was facing one of his worst nightmares. His entire biological family was standing in the middle of armed men with their lives at risk. Being blindfolded and bound, they weren't able to defend themselves either.

While the agents were organizing the handoff of the hostages, Peter focused on watching his family.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and Neal's chest blossomed blood as he flew backward.

Seeing it play out, Peter's heart stopped and he couldn't breathe. After all of this work, after everything he did in an effort to repair his relationship with his brother, and it was all over. His brother was dying right in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it.

Barely listening, he heard a second shot ring out before his peripheral caught sight of his mother doing a defense move stomping on the toes of the man next to her while his father put an elbow into the face of the man next to him. Moving quickly, they personally took their attackers down in hand to hand combat showing the escape of their bonds and physical awareness to fight even when blindfolded.

With the immediate threat removed, Diane began barking orders with practiced ease and suddenly more agents popped up everywhere.

Peter barely noticed it all; his focus was on his brother's prostrate form.

As soon as he was released by whichever agents had moved to hold him back, Peter rushed forwards to his brother's side and checked on him.

There was nothing, his brother didn't have a pulse. Desperate, he put his hand over his nose and mouth only to feel nothing there either. However, he did feel the wetness soaking into the knees as the blood spread in a puddle beneath them.

Moving into action, Peter was preparing to resuscitate his brother when he realized he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Ripping his shirt open, he began undoing the vest to get a better picture. Had his brother been hit in the vest and was just reacting to the impact, or had he truly been shot? Touching his finger to the bullet, he found that it was solidly lodged in the vest behind the blood pouches.

Checking his brother again, he found a weak pulse and a push on his chest seemed to kick something into gear as Neal gasped.

Continuing to monitor Neal's condition for a few minutes, Peter was rewarded with his quick return to normal breathing patterns while his pulse got stronger until he regained consciousness.

When Neal opened his eyes and looked up at him, Peter was surprised to see water dropping onto Neal's face causing the man to twitch. Wiping it away, Peter felt the next one fall and realized he was crying softly.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" he growled softly while putting a hand on Neal's chest to prevent him from moving up. "When you took that shot… it looked real. Then to find that you had no pulse and weren't breathing, I don't think I've been so scared in my life!"

Looking up at him, Neal seemed to be watching him, studying his reaction, but he didn't say anything.

"The paramedics are here, you need to give them space to check him over." Roan was there and put a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder before reaching to lift him up by his arm.

Stepping back, Peter didn't lose eye contact with his brother until the paramedic stepped in between them.

After a few minutes, it was determined that Neal would be transported to the hospital for a checkup before being released to go home. While he took a ride in the ambulance, Peter was given a lift by Roan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, and following :D


	14. Acceptance

*******

Sitting with his father in the waiting room, Peter found little comfort from the man, but at least he was able to learn the answers to some of his questions.

"We knew someone was coming after you and would likely attack us. Although your mother is the director of the NSA with extensive government and military background and I train at Langley, your brother insisted on sticking close to be safe. He felt that being younger, he'd be able to stand up to some challenges better than your mother or I could. In ways, he's right about us being too old for some of the work, but in other respects, our experiences make us more capable of handling difficulties. Anyway, combined, we managed to handle captivity and Chuck set himself up to slip in and drop off a few supplies. Since they had plans for a sniper, Neal was to be the target while Casey would retaliate. It was a risk, but we didn't have much choice." Peter stood up and paced at hearing this while Roan remained in his seat and continued with the report. "His reasoning for being the target was that he's younger and better able to handle the impact while also pointing out how he's survived being shot to death twice before. I know you don't know about our professional work as agents, but your brother isn't a legend for nothing. He knows how to balance the risks for the intended outcome."

Zoning out his father's voice, Peter pictured his brother reacting to the shot, but this time there wasn't a vest to protect him, and he didn't start breathing again as his body grew colder.

Suddenly, his movement was blocked and he nearly ran into his father. He only stopped because Roan was bodily standing in his path with his hands holding his harms forcing him to still.

"Listen to me, Peter. Neal, he's a strong man and will be just fine. Although he's been on a loan assignment playing what might have been, he's still a trained black ops agent with an extensive field history of his own. I know it's your job as his older brother to worry, but you're also going to have to find a way to balance that. We all do dangerous work, even you, and you're going to have to find a way to deal when situations arise. This time it was your enemy that targeted you through us, maybe next time it will be one of our enemies. No matter what happens, we're a family and we'll get through this together. Do you hear me?" Roan shook his arms slightly to ensure he had his attention.

"Yeah, I don't like seeing Neal in danger. It was bad enough before, but now he really is family, and somehow that makes it so much worse." Peter was surprised to find himself pulled into an awkward but well-meaning hug. Lifting his arms, he returned the action for the brief period before his father stepped back.

A nurse was approaching them and asked if they wanted to see Neal.

"Why don't you go get him? I'll be waiting here, and I think you need a few moments to talk." Roan encouraged him to go while he stayed behind in the waiting room.

Unsure at first, Peter was hesitant to go before Roan reassured him that Neal would probably rather see him anyway. "You're his brother, protector, and he needs you, not me."

Feeling reassured, Peter nodded before following the nurse back to where Neal was dressing as best he could in his soiled clothes. Looking him up and down, Peter was glad to see him looking healthy and listened enough to the nurse to know he didn't have any serious injury.

"Hey," he said softly to avoid hurting his brother's headache.

"Peter," Neal answered just as softly, but with greater uncertainty.

Stepping forwards, Peter gently pulled Neal into a hug and wrapped his arms around him. Holding his brother close, he started crying again when he felt his brother lift his arms and return the action. It was the first time since before the reveal of their genetic bond that his brother had let him in.

Remaining in place, Peter couldn't stop his emotions and only shifted between holding his brother's head or his shoulders close with one arm while his other remained solidly around his brother's torso refusing to let the man go.

Questioning, Neal asked, "Peter?"

"I know I've told you this, but I didn't know what I'd said until you quoted me. Once I'd confirmed it, I sat and cried right then and there fearing what I'd done without thinking. That was the biggest mistake of my life and I haven't yet managed to convey how much I regret what happened through that. It was easy to step between you and the bullet. I couldn't let you take it, not because you were bound up or because it's my responsibility to protect you, those apply, but because you're my friend, my brother, and I couldn't let them hurt you. Lately, you've been avoiding me with great skills. Our parents have assured me that you aren't missing out on time with them, but I wish I wasn't missing out on so much time with you, it would be so much better if we got to know them together. But the worst part of this all, was that feeling a little while ago, watching the bullet hit you and seeing the realistic effects you'd set up to look like you'd been shot. Nothing has scared me more than that moment, that fear of loss. I'm proud to have you as a brother, a friend. Neal, your brilliant, funny, fun, and although you might not always take the right path to get there, probably because of your black ops background creating a different approach, you do your best to help and protect those around you. Sometimes I forget your heart, the traits that make you someone to admire because I get distracted. Yeah, you are a convicted criminal as far as this loan assignment goes, you've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but some actions don't define the man. In those defining moments, you've never let me down. So don't do that to me again, don't die on me, don't even fake it, because I don't think I can handle it." Peter was crying softly as he spoke, but he didn't care as long as Neal finally heard what he needed to say.

Sniffling a little, Neal was clearly affected emotionally. "I forgive you, Peter." He put his face into Peter's shoulder.

Feeling the moisture collecting where his brother was crying into his shoulder, Peter cried harder. Kissing the side of his brother's head, he clung to him. "I love you, little brother."

Taking their time, they released their emotions.

When Peter went to step back, Neal tightened his grip. "I love you too, big brother."

Ducking his head into his brother's shoulder, Peter wondered again how he could have been so stupid to have initially rejected his brother. Then he lifted his head and stepped back before raising his hand to ruffle his brother's hair. "I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have you for a brother."

Smiling at each other, Peter threw his arm across Neal's shoulders reluctant to lose their comradery or contact before turning him towards the waiting room. Their father was waiting to take them home.

*******

When they pulled up in front of his home, Peter realized that there were more vehicles about than was characteristic but it was soon explained when he spotted Chuck approaching the vehicle. There were others around to see Neal.

Exiting the vehicle, Peter greeted the agent as he moved around the vehicle to his brother's door. "Do I want to know how many people are about?"

"Just my wife and I, your parents, and Mrs. Burke, we're here to have a quick conversation with Neal and then we'll be off to our hotel. It's been years since I got the chance to talk to him, and I have a few things that need to be said while the rest can wait until later." Chuck assured him while remaining nearby in case he was needed to assist with helping Neal from the car.

Easily managing the task on his own, Peter woke Neal up and gave him a helping hand to stand up despite his fatigue and bruises. "Easy, you're going to be sore for a few days." He coached until Neal was standing on the grass of his own volition.

"Chuck?" Neal swayed in surprise so Peter reached out to steady the man with one hand while closing the car door with the other.

"Hey," Chuck greeted a little awkwardly, but in a soft and friendly tone. "We need to talk."

Watching his brother, Peter noticed how Neal blinked and tried to process what Chuck intended to say.

"I'm not leaving until we do so you might as well give me a few minutes." Chuck picked up a stubborn tone as he furrowed his brows and stared at Neal.

Swallowing, Neal still seemed uncertain, but didn't have a choice, "Okay."

Giving his shoulder a squeeze, Peter reminded his brother that he was there for support and was rewarded by his brother looking to him for reassurance. "He's not mad at you, give him a chance."

Turning back to Chuck, Neal's eyes were wider and his mouth relaxed like he didn't believe that could be possible.

Frowning deeper, Chuck looked worried. "Seriously? You think I still hate you, even after I learned the reason behind your actions and everything you did for me? Come on, Neal. You're my other best friend! Sure, there's always been Morgan and now Casey and I are close and I can't forget Sarah, but none of them are you. They don't replace those years spent programming in college, the future we talked about, or the general fun we had. Yeah, I used to hate you for the things you did, but I learned the truth, and I don't hate you anymore."

Standing still, Neal seemed to be gauging the emotion behind Chuck's words as his eyes were tracing over his friend's face while he talked. "When did that happen?" The words seemed to slip out when he opened his mouth because he quickly closed it afterward.

Sighing, Chuck shrugged as he thought before looking Neal in the eyes. "I forgave you for Stanford when I saw the recording, and that gave me hope that you had a good reason for what you did when you got me into government work. Everything else was just before you died again. Sarah chose to stay with me so the woman I love loved me in return. I didn't need to feel jealous of you, that you dated her first and she still had feelings for you, the superspy I didn't feel I could compare with. And, I finally learned those good reasons for why you got me into government work. After that, I wish I knew you were safely working with the FBI over here. It would have been a lot easier in recent years to play internet games with you and have you there to ask for advice when things got tough."

It was Neal's turn to frown.

Chuck seemed uncertain about the situation as he watched Neal's lack of response. "Are you going to make me take your position now? During those years where I hated you, when we did cross paths, you pretty much took it upon yourself to coach me for my own good. That I could be the super spy too, or that it was putting Sarah and me in danger to let our emotions get the better of us. I might not have appreciated it, but you were just trying to look out for me." Cocking his head to the side, Chuck continued, "Because if I have to coach you about your value, I know I'll have plenty of help like you did. Your brother and your sister-in-law, your parents, your friends, and your team will all be willing to help me knock some sense into you."

Pulling Neal into his side and putting his arm across his shoulders in a sideways hug, Peter added, "He's right you know, I have his contact information now so I can make sure you talk to someone, even if it isn't me for safety reasons. You are loved and cared for, remember that, and we all want to be here for you. We just need you to let us."

Ducking his head Neal allowed Peter to shelter him while he worked on his emotions. He seemed to be feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Roan patted his arm in passing before moving on to the house. He was leaving them to their conversation but silently adding his contribution before he left.

Pulling out his phone, Chuck started to type away with total focus until he'd completed his task. Then he put his phone back into his pocket and watched Neal expectantly.

Sure enough, within a few moments, Neal's phone went off. Shifting and pulling it out, he tried to continue hiding his emotions but the others knew he was affected. Opening it, Peter saw him check an email before a question popped up. Snorting something akin to a laugh, Neal read through the message and then typed his response. This allowed a link to be activated for him to follow which led him to a coded game and chat site.

"I expect to see you in a challenge at least a few times a week and you'd better bring some entertaining stories to tell, even if it's just how boring mortgage fraud is, I want to know how you're doing. This is a safe gaming platform I designed just in case you turned up alive again. It gave me some programming practice for fun while having some preparedness should I get a brief encounter with you in the field." Chuck moved closer as he talked causing Neal to look up despite his glistening eyes. "Will you be on there?"

It took a moment to compose himself, but he promised, "Wouldn't miss it."

Kissing his brother's head, Peter was happy for Neal. He had his family, his friends, and was finally being reassured of his value by the people most important to him. "Good for you."

Ducking his head, Chuck seemed to be smiling but giving some privacy for the brotherly moment before looking up again. "Come on, Mrs. Burke has the house ready and is waiting for you two so you should probably get inside and reassure her. Sarah's been keeping her company with Beckman as she also wants to talk to you, but then we'll get out of your way for some family time."

"You aren't staying?" Neal sounded disappointed as he looked up again.

Smiling, Chuck was glad to hear it. "Not at your brother's, we have our own hotel room by your parents. Don't worry, I'm planning to hang around for a few days to help with the wrap-up and to talk, but you've had a long day so you need to rest."

Nodding quietly, Neal seemed satisfied and allowed Peter to start walking him towards the house with Chuck accompanying them.

"Stanford?" Peter questioned the two to show he'd been listening, but also testing the waters to see if they'd talk.

"That's where I met Chuck, he was my college roommate." Neal supplied the answer before smirking up at him. He knew Peter's curiosity was piqued.

"And?" Peter prompted hopefully.

Breaking into a full-blown grin, Neal glanced up at him. "And, that's all for tonight. I can't divulge all of my secrets at once."

"But you will divulge some of them?" Peter queried. He knew Neal wasn't likely to reveal some things, that's just the way their relationship had always been, but he hoped the kid would share what he could as he was ready.

"I'm sure Chuck and others would be happy to share if I didn't so I might as well control how the stories are told." Neal gave in with a mock defeated air.

Laughing, Chuck added to Peter's curiosity. "Ask him about the college library some time. That's one of my favorite memories."

The fond expression Neal responded with had Peter making serious mental notes to pursue that topic. Whatever it was, it was something special.

*******

Entering the house, Neal found himself first engulfed in a hug by Elizabeth as she wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm glad you're okay. Don't scare us like that, I've been so worried and Peter's been terrified." She kissed his cheek and wrapped him in another hug. "You might not be my only brother-in-law, but you're the only person who is a best friend to both of us."

After a few moments, she moved away to greet her husband and left Neal to the other guests.

Chuck had moved to the side and was talking to Roan then Diane joined their conversation while watching him in her peripheral.

Sarah was the next one to approach him and she lifted her head to talk to him. "You didn't tell us you were alive. I thought I spread your ashes where we had our first mission together." Her tone was edged before she dropped to a softer one, "We mourned for you, again."

Standing by for another speech, Neal wasn't sure how to handle this one either.

Continuing, Sarah told him about what had transpired since he'd been gone, the times Chuck lamented his loss, and how much they could have used his help when things got rough. "Just because I chose Chuck doesn't mean you had to leave, you're still our friend. I know you're settled as Neal Caffrey in New York, it's something more akin to a normal life and now you have your family about you, but don't forget to keep in touch with us too. We want to see you happy, but we also want to be a part of your life." She didn't touch him or move too close, but she made sure he looked her in the eyes as she spoke.

Following the same rules of conduct, Neal responded, "I died, I kind of had to go, and after I was revived… a lot was going on so it was believed best for me to return to my task force operation here. Even Beckman, my boss, hasn't been kept in the loop and only figured out my connection to Peter when he was in the coma and I called for help. Life, life doesn't always give you what you want and things don't always work out, but, I think things finally are. You're right, I am comfortable here, I have my family, friends, a team I can rely on, and now my history is catching up in a good way. Chuck's made me promise to keep in touch through a coded game and chat site. I'm sure he'd welcome the help at defeating me if you ever have something you want to say."

Smiling softly, Sarah correct him, "Are you sure I wouldn't be a hindrance? I don't play games so I'd be a total rookie."

"Eh, you'd catch on fast enough and have us both trumped. You know, maybe Chuck would need my help to defeat you?" Neal raised his eyebrow causing Sarah to laugh.

"What is this?" Chuck joined the conversation with a pretend scowl that quickly turned into a smile. He was happy to see them talking.

"I was just telling Sarah that if she ever has something to say to me I'm sure you'd be happy to have her play and that given some practice you'd probably need my help to beat her. She doesn't seem convinced." Neal included Chuck and initiated a short conversation about gaming until Chuck got too enthusiastic and squeaked at something Sarah said which hurt Neal's head.

Calming down, Chuck winced and apologized before saying they should probably be going. "We've had our conversation for tonight, we'll see you tomorrow." He gave Neal a hug and then moved to wait for his wife as she kissed Neal's cheek before joining her husband to leave for the night.

Left with his family, Neal suddenly realized that he had a soft smile on his face despite the ache in his head when Elizabeth approached with some pills and a glass of water. She was smiling with glistening tears in her eyes.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this calm and happy before."

Looking around at them after he took the pills and drank some of the water, Neal cataloged their reactions to his glance. Roan lifted his glass in acknowledgment with an expression of fatherly pride, Diane's expression was soft but yet observant keeping a maternal eye on him, Elizabeth was smiling happily at him glad to see him happy, and Peter was looking contentedly at him as if all was right in his world.

Neal realized that he hadn't ever been this calm and happy, at least not in the life he could remember. "I don't think I've been this way before."

*******

Spending his recovery at his brother's, Neal found it to be the most pleasant recuperation period he'd ever experienced. Instead of being restricted to a medical facility or curling up in some safe house on his own, he was surrounded by love and laughter.

Chuck and Sarah visited every day with conversations full of memories and friendship until they had to go back to California. Then they linked him into gaming every few days to enjoy a digital version of their interaction.

Mozzie brought board games and stories to entertain them all. He also spent a few hours playing chess with Neal alone and indulging in the quiet companionship of an old friend.

June helped Elizabeth feed everyone by bringing food along on her visits. She joined them at dinner a few times and helped relax Neal with a soothing song or two when he was restless but still restricted from returning to the office for technical recovery time.

Jones and Diana dropped by with news from the office and teases about being the boss's kid brother. They meant well and helped ease him towards the reactions awaiting him when he returned to normal routines.

Hughes even dropped by once, but he had some revised paperwork for their agreement now that his agent status was known by a few more personnel.

Roan and Diane hadn't hung around long as Diane had a lot of work to keep up with in Washington and Roan was eager to move. However, they'd set Peter's TV up for two way communication and would call just to check in every few days.

As for Peter and Elizabeth, they enjoyed getting to know Neal's other friends, Mozzie had them wondering if he was government or not but he wouldn't confirm one way or the other, they finally got to converse with Roan and Diane as a family, and most importantly, they got to spend time with Neal getting to know him as their brother. Both showed joy and comfort with the arrangement and when it was time for Neal to return home, they made him promise to be by for dinner several nights a week and welcomed him to visit anytime.

*******

After his two weeks were up, Neal was returning to the office with a new lease on life.

Walking off of the elevator, he welcomed Peter's arm slung across his shoulder as they approached the White Collar office. Everyone knew they were siblings now, so they might as well enjoy their comradery.

Entering the office, Neal stopped in his tracks. There was a banner on the back railing that said 'Welcome Back/Congratulations Neal!' and everyone in the room stopped to applaud him.

"The team has been worried about you," Peter mentioned in an aside as he looked away from the agents. "They've known something was wrong between us but not what. Your abduction brought it all out and now they want to welcome you back from the abduction and congratulate you on finding your family."

Realizing that his brother had known but allowed the surprise, Neal was glad that Jones and Diana had been preparing him. He hadn't expected such a welcome, but it wasn't as overwhelming thanks to the buildup.

Feeling genuinely at home, Neal smiled for everyone and in a Caffreyesque gesture, he doffed his hat before twirling it around in a complicated motion followed by his trademark flip onto his head and sliding his fingers along the brim much to everyone's amusement. He was back and better than ever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, commenting/reviewing, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Next week is the epilogue which will finish this story. This means that it's time for you all to cast your vote from my finished stories list on my profile page for what you would like to see next :D


	15. Epilogue – The Report

*******

Sitting in the middle of the room, a young girl had her head down as she listened to the report being given by her classmate.

She was nervous. Her turn was coming up so she fidgeted with her blonde braid and straightened her headband so that the flower was angled to the side of her head.

Once the report was finished and the student was returning to their desk, the teacher called out for her to take her turn.

Sliding out of her seat, she smoothed out her cotton frock. It was soft gray and reminded her of her mother's picture which was a confidence boost she needed. Her report was on her family which was a complicated subject to explain to her classmates and often brought up awkward questions.

Walking to the front, she took up her position while mentally running through how to give a public speech to help calm her nerves. Then taking a deep breath, she started.

"Hello, my name is Alicia Naeva Abbott Montgomery and this is my story."

*******

My mother was born in Washington DC and although she always loved the idea of international travel, she preferred to stay close to home and read about faraway places. When she was older, she went to work for the airlines as a flight attendant. She changed routes every so often shifting which part of the country she got to visit, but she always returned home to her native Washington.

For a few months, she had the cross country route from DC to Palm Springs where she occasionally saw and eventually met my father.

He is educated, charming, handsome, and well-traveled due to his government work so he intrigued my mother.

On one of his return flights home, she traded duties with another flight attendant for the opportunity to meet him. They talked and by the time the flight was landing they had a rendezvous arranged for later that evening.

Their romance was a brief whirlwind for the few days she was able to remain on a layover. When she left, she had his name and knew he was a government man, but it was a few weeks before she realized the complications of their relationship.

I was born the following spring and she named me Alicia Naeva for her love of European names, Abbott as her family name, and Montgomery for my father. Due to the brevity of their relationship, she never contacted him about my existence but chose to raise me on her own.

Although I don't remember it, we had a few happy years where she worked in the local tourism meeting people from all over the world while still being home to take care of me at night.

Then, one night she was on her way home when there was a car accident. My mother didn't survive.

With no living relatives in the area, I was placed in the foster system and a search began for extended relations. Through my father's name and a DNA test against my eldest brother in an adoption agency, I was matched to my family.

My caretakers took me on a trip and I got to fly from Washington DC to New York where we had an appointment at the agency to meet my brother.

I'm told I was scared and shy preferring to hide behind my foster parents rather than meet the strangers I was being presented to. However, my sister-in-law soon coaxed me out with a treat and made some general conversation to catch my interest. My brother, he was possibly more nervous than I was and left most of the interactions with me to his wife.

After the initial introduction, it took several weeks for the paperwork to be processed, and with my father's consent; I was officially adopted by my eldest brother and his wife.

What few possessions I had were packed up and moved while a guest room in their townhouse was converted into my bedroom.

Our situation was awkward at first.

I still missed my mother so I was reluctant to let Elizabeth take a motherly role in my life and I had never known my father so I didn't know what to do with Peter. Meanwhile, they were each new to their roles and were learning how to take care of me as well.

That's when I met my other brother, Neal. Due to my eldest brother being my father and my sister-in-law being my mother, this made my second brother my uncle.

Falling into the role easily, Neal drew me pretty pictures, performed magic tricks, and sang songs to me until I was able to relax around him. He was the most at ease with a child, something our eldest brother jokingly contributes to Neal being something of a child himself.

Slowly, I found points of commonality with my siblings.

Elizabeth and I would play dress-up, bake cookies, and plant pretty flowers in the garden. She encouraged me to remember my mother and often told me stories of her own. If I cried, she'd hold and comfort me until the grief passed again. Although she's legally my mother, she's also my sister, confidant, and friend.

Peter had a different approach to interacting with me so we went to the park, played games, and he taught me to love baseball. He told me stories of how his adopted father had played catch with him, watched the games, and even took him to a few when he could. I've always loved that he was willing to share that passion with me. So although Neal doesn't understand, I love the sport. It's time spent with just Peter and me.

As you can guess, Neal is where I learned my love of art as it is something he is very passionate about. He takes me to museums and has taught me to draw from our first meeting. Over the years he expanded my lessons into painting, ceramics, and other mediums as he feels I'm old enough or ready.

When I was little, an old friend of Neal's and he began to grow closer until they finally married and I gained another sister-in-law. Sara is an insurance agent so she has a different approach to art, but she appreciates my skills and always insists on seeing my latest works. She enjoys taking me shopping and encourages me to read about faraway places, much like my mother used to. We talk about locations around the world and what it might be like to visit them someday.

Expanding my family through my siblings' friends, I have many aunts and uncles.

Uncle Mozart, or Mozzie, is a frequent visitor due to his long-standing friendship with Neal. He is a conspiracy theorist so he always has a new story or theory to share. Also, he is just as good at sleight of hand as Neal is so he makes sure to teach me a new trick each time he visits. It's to prevent me from being taken in, or at least that's what he always tells me.

Peter has some agents who work for him at the FBI so uncle Jones and aunt Diana are often around for work or just to socialize. They've been on my dad's team for years and are close friends. Uncle Jones tells me stories about his days in the military and teaches me legal things, like what's wrong with uncle Mozzie's theories. Aunt Diana is the daughter of a diplomat so she tells me stories about growing up traveling. She teaches me self defense and says every girl should know how to take care of herself.

Aunt June used to be Neal's landlady. She was a Jazz singer and I love to hear her perform whether she's accompanied or not. Her husband had been a con artist so has so many interesting stories between performers she's met and the jobs her husband pulled. I love their mansion, it has hidden doors and secret compartments so it reminds me of a mystery novel.

Then there is uncle Chuck and aunt Sarah. They're old friends of Neal's who live in California so we don't see them very often, but they play online games with us so we're often in contact. Uncle Chuck is a computer engineer so he teaches me how to build programs and always brings me comic books when he is able to visit. Aunt Sarah was raised a con artist before going into government work so she has so many stories to share about her experiences that I never tire of talking to her. However, she also makes sure to keep me grounded. She didn't find herself until she met uncle Chuck so she encourages me to explore who I am and not get too caught up in who the people around me are.

To branch further back in the family, there is my father who legally performs as my grandfather. He is still a government man, but he has mostly retired from fieldwork and only does the odd training class to pass on his expertise. In an effort to be active in my life, my father calls asking for updates as to what's been going on in my life and gives advice for any question I have. Although he doesn't visit often, he makes the effort a few times a year while usually bringing his long-time girlfriend, the mother of my brothers, along with him. We spend a few days catching up on each other's lives and there is usually at least one event like an opera or an orchestra concert to entertain my father before he returns home.

In addition, I have my other grandparents. Peter's adopted parents are some of the normal influences in my life as grandpa is a bricklayer and grandma does office work for the construction company, which is how they met. Elizabeth's father is a psychologist while her mother works in a specialty foods shop. Although they mean well, they can be difficult as grandpa analyzes everything while grandma sometimes tries too hard.

Finally, Peter and Elizabeth had a son, my nephew and little brother, Neal. He is only a toddler, but he is sweet and I enjoy spending time with him. Elizabeth often lets me help take care of him and I look forward to watching as he grows older so we can talk, draw, and bake cookies together someday.

Little Neal is named for big Neal because Peter initially rejected Neal when they discovered their biological bond due to his undercover role, and although they repaired their relationship years ago, he still seems to be trying to ground Neal and show him how much he is loved and wanted.

I think my mother would be happy with how my life has turned out so far.

Through our shared genetics, I have her blonde hair and blue-gray eyes so I can see something of her in the mirror every day. My family keeps her alive in photos and family videos so that I never forget her while sharing pieces of their own lives so that I know where I come from. Going forward, I have been encouraged to find my own life from their foundation. I don't know where I'll go, perhaps I will pursue art and express myself through different mediums, maybe I will travel to distant lands in grand adventures like the ones I read about, or I could go into government work like so many of my family and become my own hero like what I admire in them. But, whatever path I pursue, I have been raised to do my best no matter what others may think, to do the right thing by myself and others no matter the consequences, and to experience the world around me as it's full of wonders and beauty.

*******

Having completed her report, the young girl deposited the papers on her teacher's desk and shyly returned to her seat. Although she kept her head down and focused on her notebook as she sketched, she could feel the eyes watching her and hear the whispers as many of her classmates had learned more about her than they had expected.

The rest of the day passed slowly as other students gave their reports and other classwork was done while the teacher quietly graded. However, at the end of the day, she was glad to see her papers returned with a large A-plus written at the top.

When class was dismissed, she packed up her bag and headed out to meet Elizabeth. Her sister was picking her up and they discussed the general events of the day until arriving home.

Going through their normal routine for the evening, Alicia did her homework and helped with the household chores before spending some time entertaining herself with little Neal while dinner cooked.

As dinner drew nearer, Peter and big Neal arrived home from work.

"How was the report?" Peter asked while greeting her and little Neal.

Elizabeth joined them and big Neal took a seat to listen to the events of the day after his own greetings.

Smiling, Alicia pulled the papers from her bag to hand to Peter. "I got an A-plus."

"Congratulations! I knew you'd do well with it." Peter hugged her and kissed her head before passing the report to Neal for him to read.

Watching as Neal read through the pages quickly, Alicia discussed her presentation and the tips Peter and Elizabeth had given to make the task easier.

When he was done, Neal quietly lowered the report and gestured that he wanted his own hug.

Responding to him, Alicia dove into his arms and hugged her favorite uncle/brother.

"Thank you," Neal whispered in her ear. "You're one special little sister/niece."

Giggling, Alicia loved the way he always referred to her by both titles. He'd told her he'd never had a little sister or a niece so he needed to get the most he could out of having her in both roles. "You're welcome, brother/uncle. We all love you and you're one special guy yourself."

With her aunt Sara's arrival, Alicia was distracted by showing her the report, but she didn't miss the way Peter had caught Neal in a hug on his way to help with dinner.

Working together, they finished the preparations and were soon sitting down to eat. Looking around the table, Alicia was confident that she did indeed have a loving family and a promising future before her that her mother would be proud of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, choosing to favorite, and following :D
> 
> So far, the votes for completed stories rank as below which means I'll begin posting "A Tale of Two Sisters" next week :D
> 
> A Tale of Two Sisters: 4
> 
> The Yearbook Incident: 2

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D


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